Tiny village, approaching storm
by Celonhael
Summary: Myoga visits InuYasha, and reveals Izumi may be alive.
1. Chapter 1

"Over here, over here!"

Kagome stood in the middle of the path, waving her arms wildly. Her denim shorts and bare legs dusty, her black sneakers grey with dust. Her long black hair and blue T-shirt were likewise dusty - she looked almost as if she had been dipped in a brown flour.

Up the path, within the village, the preying mantis demon turned, hissing at her, red insect eyes gleaming.

Overhead, the clouds were gathering.

This one wasn't as tall as the other one, it was only the same height as the hut. The larger one was back in the forest, being dispatched by InuYasha. This smaller one had come into the village, unseen, and was now threatening the hut. A terrified mother and two screaming infants were hiding inside, cowering.

"Arrgh, if I only had time for my bow!"

She reached into her shirt, and pulled out the Shikon, holding it in her hand.

There was a soft pulse in her hand, as if she held something alive.

Kagome imagined something happening to one of it's legs, cracking, falling off, something, _anything_.

In front of her, the dark brown mantis suddenly screamed as a large crack appeared in it's chitinous body armor. Black ichor spurted out.

"Yeah!"

The mantis hissed at her again, and lumbered around the hut, starting towards her.

"Come on," Kagome put her hands to her mouth, yelling louder, "A slug could outrun you, move, move!"

_All I have to do is lure it back to where InuYasha is. Easy enough. It's not that fast._

The mantis took several steps, unable to go very fast on it's injured leg.

Kagome grinned, and turned, moving several steps up the path, "Slowpoke! Whoo-hoo! Come on!"

The mantis crouched, levelling out it's body slightly. Suddenly, the long plates on it's back rose, and four huge, gossamer-looking wings slid out, and started to vibrate.

Kagome backed up a step, eyes huge, her voice cracking, "Mantis have _WINGS!?_"

It took to the air.

Shrieking, she turned, running along the path, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

It made a terrible clattering sound as it moved, it's wings clicking against each other, bearing down on her, hissing.

"Oh God oh God oh God! INUYASHA! AHHHHHHHH!"

She turned a corner, and he was there, running towards her.

Seeing the giant thing bearing down on her, his eyes widened, and he pulled the Tetsusaiga.

"Kagome! Down!"

She threw herself to the ground as hard as if _she_ had been sat, just as he jumped, launching himself into the air.

She saw stars as her chin bounced off the grass, and she threw her arms over her head. Above and behind her, she heard InuYasha roar, and a sudden, sickening squishy, splattering sound.

Kagome was suddenly drenched in something hot and foul smelling.

She was afraid to open her eyes, she didn't want to see what had fallen on her. Eyes squeezed shut, she held her breath.

"Kagome? Kagome!" She felt him grab her wrist, and start pulling her up, "Look at me! Are you ok?"

Warily, she opened her eyes.

He stood, looking at her, golden eyes wide, "Are you hurt?"

Steeling herself, she looked down.

She was covered in black ichor. It was hot, and it _stank_. It literally made her eyes water.

She tried to speak, could only manage a long sickly whimper.

"_Kagome!?"_

"I'm...ok..." she managed, trying to breathe through her mouth, "Not..hurt. I...oh _God_-"

She shoved him away, startling him, and lunged to the side of the road, where she fell to her knees. InuYasha was right behind her, reaching for her, convinced she had been badly wounded, when she started to retch.

InuYasha winced, flattening his ears, oddly defensive, "I couldn't exactly worry about getting you _dirty_, Kagome! That thing would have eaten you!"

"It's...ok..." she gasped, dry-heaving, "Not...angry...uuuggggg."

He stood slightly behind her, unsure what to do.

Kagome fought her stomach back into control, embarrassed he was watching her. Give a girl some privacy when she's about to puke! But she had only dry-heaved, and finally stood, shuddering, weak. She turned, and looked at him.

InuYasha blinked, and suddenly smiled a little. She looked embarrassed, red-faced.

He shrugged, walking towards her a step, voice gentle, "Big deal."

"Can't you _smell_ it?!" she asked, shuddering, "You can smell _everything_!"

He shook his head, "I can smell that it stinks, yeah, but it's still not as bad as that other stuff I've had on me. Come on, let's go back to the village, get you washed up."

"EErrrrg. No. I'm going straight to the river. I don't think I can go as far as the village. And I don't think the villagers will want me there, either."

He looked at her, exasperated, "You don't even have any towels."

"Then _you_ go bring me some. Please? Before I _do_ vomit?"

He sighed, a little annoyed, but she looked so _miserable_.

"Alright. Go wash. I'll bring your backpack and stuff."

"Thanks, InuYasha."

It was a short trip back to the hut, picking up Kagome's backpack, and bringing it out to the river for her. She stayed almost completely submerged while he put her backpack on the riverbank, then turned and sat, back-on to her.

He was tempted, yes. But he was far too visible to her. There was no way he could look without her seeing, and a part of him didn't want to even risk it. Besides, she was feeling sickly.

He heard her splash back to the bank, rummage in her backpack for soap, and wade back out. InuYasha, unseen by her, smiled, remembering the day he _had_ accidentally seen her bathing.

She had been such a thing to behold. Pale skin, long black hair spread out in the water, eyes closed, hands in her hair...

He chuckled, _I've got it bad._

And he didn't care.

"Well well well," came a voice by his ear, "The Lady Kagome looks...lovely today."

InuYasha blinked, and reached out, snagging Myoga off a nearby branch.

"Yeah, and you can stop ogling her, right now."

"Er...I wasn't doing any such thing, Lord InuYasha! I was just-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"I'm glad I saw you here, my Lord. I wanted to ask you something very important."

InuYasha put the flea on his knee, crossing his arms, "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. What on earth has happened to the Lady Izumi?"

InuYasha blinked, then looked away, into the forest to the right of him.

"Yeah," he said, his voice suddenly quiet, "I guess you haven't heard."

"Oh?"

"I think...it's my fault, Myoga. I shouldn't have tried to close that portal. I know Kagome says my powers couldn't have hurt her, but...that's the _only_ thing I can see."

"Well...I don't know, Lord InuYasha. Lady Izumi is unbelievably powerful. Something terrible must have happened to her."

InuYasha sighed, and closed his eyes, "Yeah. A burning mountain fell out of the sky. I saw it, Myoga. Kagome called it a...meteor, or something. It hit the island where Izumi was."

"That's terrible!"

InuYasha opened his eyes, gazing down at his hands, "I...I'm kind of surprised...how much I miss her."

"Well, Lord InuYasha...sometimes these things happen, you know. I'm sure she'll eventually be back to herself in no time. Though I'm still rather annoyed she tried to crush me."

InuYasha blinked at Myoga, "What? Back to herself...Myoga, Izumi's dead."

Myoga blinked his little bug eyes at the hanyou, speaking calmly, "No she's not."

"Yes, she is!"

"...No she's not."

"She _is_."

Pause.

"No she's not."

_"Myoga!"_

Myoga waved his four arms, "Lord InuYasha, I just came from a village where she tried to crush me with a bowl!"

InuYasha shook his head, "You're mistaken, Myoga. She's _dead_. Kagome saw her...her body. Sesshomaru took her to...wherever she wanted her remains left."

"Well...unless she wanted to be left in a village...alive...then I have to say you're mistaken. She's in a village, over three days walk from here."

"Damnit, Myoga!"

"Oh, Myoga!" Kagome walked up to them, wearing dark blue hakama and a white woman's haori, and knelt, "What are you doing here?"

"Hallucinating," InuYasha growled.

"I am not seeing things!" Myoga said, waving his four arms again, "I'm telling you the Lady Izumi is living in a village!"

Kagome blinked, "What?"

"Shut up!" InuYasha said, growing angry.

"I know the Lady Izumi, Lord InuYasha! I've spent many years in her presence! I know her voice, her appearance, her scent! But she didn't recognise me at all!"

"No, Myoga, she's dead. I saw her. I saw Sesshomaru pick her up, and she was _dead_."

"Well, maybe Lord Sesshomaru carried her somewhere all right, to that village! I caught his scent just outside that village."

Now both Kagome and InuYasha blinked. Kagome leaned forward, "Sesshomaru near a human village? He must have just been passing by."

"His scent was too strong there, Lady Kagome. He's been there a while now."

InuYasha and Kagome looked at each other.

"You must trust me on this, Lord InuYasha," Myoga said, hopping up and down, "Lady Izumi is in that village, although she doesn't seem to know who I am, or even who she is."

There was a pause, and then InuYasha stood up. There was a dark look on his face. Kagome stood up, "InuYasha?"

"We're going to go see. Myoga, you're coming with us. I'm going to see if Miroku and Sango want to come, then we're going."

He glared up at the sky, and made a fist, his voice low and angry, "And the Gods help Sesshomaru if Izumi's been alive all this time and he didn't let anyone know."

******************************************  
InuYasha ran along the ground, occasionally lunging into a tree or off a boulder to get some height. He soared smoothly, long silver hair trailing out behind him as he ran.

Miroku, Sango, and Kagome sat on Kirara, flying slightly above the hanyou. Kagome held Shippo, and Myoga sat on her shoulder.

"Myoga, are you _sure_ it was the Lady Izumi?" Shippo asked.

"Shippo, stop asking me that! Yes I'm sure! I've known her a very long time! It was definately her!"

"Why wouldn't she come and let InuYasha know she was alive?" Sango asked.

"You heard Myoga," Miroku said, "She didn't recognise him. Perhaps she has some form of amnesia."

"It seems odd, though," Sango said, "For Sesshomaru to carry Izumi to a human village and leave her there."

"And visit her," Miroku said.

Sango nodded, but spoke, "If Kagome and I are right, and Sesshomaru _does_ have some sort of feelings for Izumi, that might make sense, but...why would he tell Kagome she was dead if she wasn't?"

"I don't know," Kagome said, shaking her head, "The whole thing is so weird. The way Izumi was lying in Sesshomaru's arms, she was either dead, or unconscious. And even if Sesshomaru _did_ have feelings for her, to take her away to a human village, it's bizarre."

"And to visit her," Shippo said, "I can't imagine Sesshomaru hanging around a human village at all."

Miroku looked down to where InuYasha was running, "If Sesshomaru _has_ kept Izumi's survival a secret, InuYasha is going to be very angry."

"And if InuYasha attacks Sesshomaru," Sango said, "I don't know if InuYasha will survive. InuYasha is so powerful, but Sesshomaru is obviously much more so."

"None of it makes any sense," Myoga said, "What Kagome explained to me shouldn't have been enough to kill Lady Izumi. She was almost a Goddess in her own right, having absorbed so much power. I can see her being badly hurt, yes, but..._killed_?

We'll have to ask her what happened."

Kagome, who had been mostly quiet all this time, spoke lowly, "Guys? I need to tell you something. It's important...and you all have to promise me you won't breathe a word of this to either InuYasha, or Sesshomaru."

They all turned, looking at her.

Kagome looked down at Shippo, "Especially you, Shippo. If you think you might not be able to keep a secret, cover your ears. Because this...well...

If Sesshomaru finds out, I think he'd try to kill InuYasha. And if InuYasha finds out, he...well...I don't know _what_ he'll do, but he'll be so upset at himself."

Shippo looked at her, big green eyes wide, "I can keep it, Kagome, if I know it would hurt InuYasha."

Kagome nodded, and looked down to where the hanyou ran along the path, making sure he wasn't close enough to hear anything.

"When InuYasha was on that island, there was a portal there. And he tried to close it. By himself."

Miroku blinked, "I thought Izumi told him he wasn't strong enough."

"He isn't. And it...it came back at him. The SolarFlare. So he tried to use the Backlash Wave, and..._it_ came back at him too."

They all stared at her.

Kagome kept her eyes below, where he ran.

"Mikado told me it killed him. InuYasha died."

Shippo gasped, looking horrified. The same look was in the eyes of her friends when she glanced at them.

She continued, "When Izumi showed up and found him dead, she...Mikado told me, she brought him back. She brought him back to life."

Myoga stirred, "But I thought-"

Kagome nodded, "They're not allowed to do that. A god or goddess is not allowed to do that. Mortals can...but they don't have the power to return people's own souls right back to their own bodies."

Kagome looked at Sango, "That's why when you were brought back, you were brought back to your wounded body. Amaterasu hadn't let your soul move on to the other side, so technically, you weren't _dead_."

"She was dead _enough_," Miroku said, hotly. He was still angry Amaterasu had kept her survival a secret. Sango smiled softly at the monk.

Kagome nodded, "But it was sort of a loophole. But she couldn't fix Sango's body. Izumi's a mortal, so she didn't have the restrictions on her. And having been with Amaterasu for so long, she had absorbed enough power to be able to bring InuYasha back into his body, which she fixed."

They were silent.

"But...in doing that, she lost almost all of her power. Mikado thinks she didn't have enough to close the portal properly anymore, so...she got rid of it the only way she knew how."

Sango gasped, "The burning mountain?! Izumi brought that down on top of herself!?"

Kagome nodded, "It sealed the portal because it destroyed everything else there as well. Mikado thinks there was just enough power left in Izumi that she wasn't obliterated, her body remained. That's how Sesshomaru was able to find her."

The wind whistled mournfully around them.

"So if Sesshomaru finds out it's InuYasha's fault Izumi died," Sango said, "he'll try to kill InuYasha."

Miroku nodded, "And if InuYasha finds out, it'll practically kill him. Kagome, how on earth have you kept this so quiet?"

She smiled sickly at the monk, "Because I didn't think I would ever have to think about it. Izumi was dead, and gone, and...but now, if we go in there demanding answers...we might get them. And that would be bad."

"It sounds like Izumi might not remember, if she doesn't even remember Myoga," Shippo said.

"All the same," Miroku said, "We'll have to make sure if InuYasha, or Sesshomaru, starts getting close to what may have happened, we try to lead them away."

They all nodded.

"How much farther, Myoga?" InuYasha called up to them.

The flea peered down, "Not too much farther, Lord InuYasha! It took me three days, but I was hopping. Flying like this, we should be there in another hour or two."

"Do you want a rest?" Kagome called down, "You've been running for four hours now!"

"I'm fine!" he called back, sounding annoyed.

Sango spoke up, "Well we're not. We need to stretch our legs. We're going to stop for a few minutes."

"Fine, whatever," he called up, cranky.

Sango smiled at Kagome, "Give him something to drink."

Kagome smiled.

They landed, and set up a small camp of sorts, breaking out water and a few things to eat. InuYasha paced back and forth on the boundaries of the camp, glaring out in the direction they had been moving. It was obvious he wanted to be moving again, wanted to get going.

Kagome twisted the top off a bottle of fruit punch, and walked over to him, holding it out, "Here."

Not even looking at her, he spoke, "Thanks but I'm not hungry."

"Good," she smiled, "I'd hate for you to eat the bottle."

He blinked, looking back at her, at the bottle, he took it, looking annoyed, "We don't have time to stop, Kagome."

"If Myoga's right, Izumi's been in that village for a while now. A few more hours won't hurt. And you should at least drink something, you don't want to get dehydrated."

He sighed, annoyed, but dutifully lifted the bottle and drank.

Kagome watched him, smiling fondly. It was so much easier now, not having to hide what she was feeling anymore, either from him or herself.

The bottle half gone, InuYasha spoke, still looking out in the direction they were moving, "Why do you think she can't remember anything?"

"Well...that meteor's not a snowball to get hit with. What I can't understand is why Sesshomaru told me she was dead if she wasn't?"

The hanyou's voice was dark, "I don't like the thoughts of Sesshomaru with Izumi if she was injured or unconscious."

"InuYasha, I _told_ you, I'm pretty sure Sesshomaru likes Izumi."

"Yeah, well, _that_ thought doesn't give me much ease either. I wouldn't put it past him to - " he shut up, biting off his words.

"To what?" Kagome looked at him, then blinked, "What? No. Sesshomaru wouldn't force himself on her!"

InuYasha looked back at her, "How would _you_ know?"

"He...doesn't seem the type."

"Oh, he's the type to try and melt you when you first picked up the Tetsusaiga, but he's not the type to take advantage of an unconscious woman he's supposed to feel something for?"

Kagome just looked at him, "InuYasha..."

He suddenly blinked, "Or did something happen that time you and he were stuck in that alternate dimension thing? With the demons?"

Kagome blinked, _"What?"_

He turned, looking at her, "Did something-"

"_No, something didn't happen!"_ Kagome blinked, outraged, "Give me a little credit! I don't exactly have the warm and fuzzies for a guy who has tried to kill me on several occasions, not to mention _you_!"

"I didn't mean if _you_ did anything, I meant if-"

"InuYasha, Sesshomaru hates humans. He despises them. I really, _really_ doubt he would _ever_ be able to look at any one of them, even a beautiful woman, and see anything other than a bug."

"But Izumi-"

"Was a Senmin. Not a human."

He sighed, "Then why is he still hanging around?"

"That...I don't know," she admitted.

They travelled on, moving closer and closer to the coast. The smell of the sea was faint, but growing all the time. In the distance, thunder started to rumble, threatening rain.

"How much farther, Myoga!?" InuYasha called from below.

"We should be able to see the village from here, my Lord!"

Along the path, a clearing opened, and InuYasha turned, moving towards the cliffside.

It only took him a few seconds to recognise it. It was the same place as his dream. It looked different, because it was daylight, it wasn't bathed in moonlight. But it was the same place.

And as he slowed to a walk, he looked out over the villages far below, and there, in the sky in the distance but moving closer, were strange dark clouds, ominous and moody, lightning flickering between the clouds.

"That's a creepy-looking storm," Shippo said.

Kagome looked at it, then leaned forward, "Kirara, let me down, please?"

The giant feline lowered herself, and Kagome slipped off, over the side. She moved to stand beside InuYasha.

He didn't turn as she approached, but he spoke, "That's it, Kagome. This is the same place. The place I saw in my dream. Even that weird storm."

Kagome eyed the storm, a strange, apprehensive feeling inside her.

"Then let's go."


	2. Face to face

InuYasha ran along the path heading down the hill, keeping an eye on the view out over his right shoulder. As he grew closer to the ground level, the village slowly dissapeared from sight, but the strange stormclouds overhead continued to grow, lightning flickering in amongst the clouds.  
Kagome and the others, however, still atop Kirara, could still easily see down into the village.  
It looked rather poor, the houses little more than huts. Fishing boats were pulled up onto the sandy shore directly, instead of near a wharf anywhere. Drying stands were set up, simple bamboo from the forests, where fish could be split and laid out to dry in the sun.  
"Look," Miroku pointed further down the beach, where giant pillars of wood stood on the beach, like trees that grew straight, directly out of the sand.  
"What is that?" Kagome asked.  
"Remains of a wharf," Sango said, "This place must have been hit by the tidal wave Izumi created."  
"Do you guys really think Izumi is down there?" Shippo asked.  
"I'm telling you!" Myoga said, waving his four arms wildly, "I know the Lady Izumi! And it was her! It was her face, it was her voice, it was her scent!"  
"Alright, alright!" Shippo grumbled.  
"We'll find out soon enough," Sango said, as Kirara angled downwards.  
The giant feline settled to the sand, crouching slightly so her passengers could slide off. Just as their feet touched the sand, the hanyou joined them. They all turned, looking towards the village. Kirara shrunk down to her kitten size, and Sango picked her up.  
"Well...let's go see what we find, shall we?" Miroku asked.  
They started walking up the beach, towards the village. They could already see people out on the beach, standing around their fishing boats, just talking amongst themselves. One of them noticed the newcomers, and turned, watching them. Almost warily.  
InuYasha spoke, "This place looks pretty poor. I don't think they cou-" he suddenly stopped, mid-word, freezing in place for a second, before turning, his hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga.  
The others stopped, looking back at him, "InuYasha?"  
"I smell him," InuYasha said lowly, looking around.  
Kagome walked back towards him, "Who?"  
"Sesshomaru."  
Kagome blinked, "Are you sure?"  
_"Yes_ I'm sure," he snapped. He blinked, and looked at her, ears half lowered, "Sorry."  
Kagome smiled, patting his shoulder, and looked around, "Well...I can't see him. Maybe he's farther off in the forest."  
"For Sesshomaru's scent to be even this close to a human village lends credence to Myoga's story," Miroku said.  
Myoga muttered dark things only a flea would understand.  
They turned, and started walking on again.  
As they grew closer to the group of people, they began to notice that the people were looking very uneasy. Some looked nervous, some looked beligerant. And it was all focused on InuYasha.  
Standing beside him, Kagome felt InuYasha start to bristle, shifting. She reached out and entwined her fingers with his.  
"Easy," she said, softly.  
"Yeah," he muttered, but looked away, trying not to glare at the villagers.  
Long ago, Miroku had become the official spokesman for the little group. His natural charm, easy going manner, and kind smile tended to make people trust him. And his clothing of a monk added to that.  
"Good day," he said, smiling charmingly, "I hope everyone is well here today?"  
The villagers looked at one another, and one even left, running quickly back towards the village. The others stayed, looking sternly at the newcomers.  
"Good day to you, monk," one asked, "How can we help you?"  
"We've been travelling around this area, and decided to stop here for a rest. I hope that's fine?"  
Sango and Kagome exchanged a glance, both wondering why Miroku was glossing over the reason they had come.  
In the distance, thunder rumbled. Everyone turned for a minute, and looked at the heavy thunderheads that were gathering in the distance.  
It looked like a bad storm.  
They looked back at the gathered visitors, and one spoke, "You can enter the village if you wish, all three of you. But _that_ one is not welcome here."  
The man raised a hand, and pointed directly at InuYasha.  
Beside her, Kagome felt the hanyou tense, growing angry.  
"I assure you, there is no need to have any worries about InuYasha," Miroku exclaimed cheerfully, "He isn't dangerous, and can be fully trusted."  
The men scowled, and the one who spoke, spoke again, "He is not welcome here, monk. We have had enough trouble here with demons lately."  
"You must trust me," Miroku said, a little more firmly, "I assure you, you have nothing to fear from him."  
"And we are saying no."  
"Now see here," Miroku started, hotly, but InuYasha interrupted him, "Forget it, Miroku, you're not going to get through to them. I'll stay out here, you guys go on in."  
Sango startled InuYasha by speaking up, her normally pleasant voice angry, "No. If you aren't welcome here, InuYasha, we certainly have no interest in staying here either."  
"Wait," the second man spoke, stepping forward, "We have need of the services of a monk. Please, won't you all come in?"  
Miroku shook his head, "Not unless you allow our friend in as well. If he is not welcome here, neither are we."  
InuYasha stared at them, and spoke lowly, "Guys."  
"No InuYasha," Sango said firmly, "We go where you go. If you're staying outside the village, so are we."  
Her tone brooked no argument, and she turned her back on the villagers, "Come on, we need to find a good place to set up camp."  
Miroku nodded, and turned, following behind her as she walked away.  
InuYasha just stared at their backs, confused, and stunned.  
Kagome looked at him, and smiled, squeezing his hand, "Come on."  
She led him away from the small group of villagers, leading him by the hand.  
"But that's _stupid_!" InuYasha suddenly blurted, and called out to Sango and Miroku walking in front of him, "Hey! Don't be idiots! Go back and find a hut or something!"  
"Not without you, InuYasha," Sango said firmly, "We certainly don't want to dirty our feet by walking in any village that won't accept you on first sight."  
"Indeed," Miroku agreed, "We'll find another way to see if Izumi's in that village."  
"But they said they needed your services!" InuYasha argued, coming to stand in front of Miroku.  
The monk smiled charmingly, "Then they'll just have to trust a monk, and let his hanyou friend within the village, won't they?" He turned, "Sango, we can put the tarpulin here, I think. It will block most-"  
Miroku and Sango chatted about the best place to set up their camp in the lee of a boulder sticking out of the sand near the forest.  
Kagome smiled at the hanyou's stunned face, and she spoke gently, "We're not interested in going anywhere they won't accept you on first sight, InuYasha. Why are you looking so shocked?"  
"But...the storm. You'll all get soaked! You're being stupid!"  
"Then we're being stupid," she smiled sweetly, "You should be used to that, too."  
Kagome walked over to lend a hand.

The wind had come up, rattling the tarpulin, and shortly after, the rain hit. It was cold and wet, but no one complained. InuYasha sat, his back to the boulder, wishing there was some way he could gather all four of them up and throw them into the village somehow. They were likely to get colds out of this!  
He put another hunk of driftwood on the fire, trying to keep the little shelter warm and dry. He didn't feel the cold, but knew they must be.  
It was only about an hour, however, when they heard someone huffing up to the shelter. A wrinkled hand grabbed the edge, and pulled it back, revealing a tiny old woman who slipped inside.  
"Whooooo, that's a strong wind!" she laughed, her grey hair streaming out behind her.  
"Are you alright?" Sango asked.  
"Eh? Oh yes. Actually, no! I'm as mad as hell with my stupid neighbours! Refusing you all shelter on a day like this! We haven't seen a storm like this in forever! Not fit for anyone out here!"  
"Why did you come out, then?" InuYasha asked, gruffly.  
The old woman nodded at him, "I'm bringing you all back to my hut. It's small, I warn you, but dry, and warm."  
"Are you sure?" Miroku asked, "We wouldn't be bringing trouble down on you, would we?"  
"Eeeh, my neighbours know better than to bother with me. I'll give them all a good what-for!" she stilled, then spoke, "Besides...I have a feeling...you're here looking for her."  
Everyone turned, looking intently at the old woman, and she nodded, "You've come for Shisuta, haven't you?"  
"Shishuta?" Kagome asked, "No, we're looking for someone called Izumi, only...we think she's lost her memory."  
The old woman nodded, and waited for a violent gust of wind to pass before speaking again, "That's what the other one called her. The older one, that looked like you," she motioned to InuYasha.  
He blinked, "Sesshomaru _was_ here?"  
"Tell us of this Shisuta," Miroku asked.  
"She walked out of the ocean one day, naked and cold. She has no memory of who she is. The villagers started calling her Shisuta because of this. She is a beautiful woman, long black hair. She bears no signs of physical work, so we believe she must be a princess or something."  
"And very tall?" Sango asked.  
The old woman nodded.  
"Maybe it _is_ Izumi," Kagome breathed.  
Myoga, who was absent until now, jumped up onto InuYasha's shoulder, "I _told_ you it was Lady Izumi!"  
The old woman shrieked, and pointed to the flea, "AUGH! It's back! That talking bug is back!"  
Myoga made a rude noise at her. Miroku stood up, "Please, lady, can you take us to this Shisuta?"  
"My name is Teruko, and yes, I can."

***************************************************  
They left the tarpulin where it was - there was no sense in trying to take it down in all the wind. They quickly packed up, and left, running behind the old woman, who led them to her hut.  
As she had said, it _was_ a small hut, and Kagome wondered how they were all going to fit in there. But they had spent more than one night in a tiny hut, bunked out on the floor whereever there was room, and they could do it again.  
The old woman ran in first, and held back the door covering for them. The four of them - InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango, piled into the room, Shippo in Kagome's arms, Kirara in Sango's, and Myoga no doubt hiding on someone. When everyone was in, the old woman tied down the door covering to keep out as much rain and wind as possible.  
"My goodness," Teruko said, shaking her head, "What a terrible storm."  
Outside, there was a heavy crash of thunder, as if agreeing.  
They stood, dripping on the floor. Kagome knelt, rummaging through her backpack, "I don't know if any of my towels are still dry or not."  
"Don't worry about the water on the floor," Teruko said, "It'll just drip down through the floorboards anyway."  
Kagome took out a towel, holding it out, "Some are still dry, anyway. Here." She held one out to InuYasha, and after a second, blinked when he didn't move.  
She looked up at him.  
InuYasha stood, statue-still, dripping water from his hair, his clothing, a little pool of water around his feet. But he didn't even seem to notice, as he stood, staring, gold eyes wide, towards a small door covering that led to the back rooms of the hut, probably the sleeping area.  
"InuYasha?" she spoke softly.  
He didn't even look at her, but spoke, his voice almost a whisper, "I...I can _smell_ her, Kagome."  
Kagome blinked, sitting up straighter, "Izumi?"  
A voice came from behind the curtain, a voice familiar to them all, "Teruko? Is that you?"  
The small covering was pushed back, and Izumi stepped out.

Everyone froze, shocked.  
It was definately Izumi. She wore men's clothing, breeches and a man's shirt, tied loosely. Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and the ponytail had leather ties all down it's length, about every 3 inches or so, to keep it neat and clean.  
But it was Izumi. It was her face, it was her voice, and it was definately her eyes.  
"Oh, visitors," Shisuta smiled, "I didn't expect-"  
Her eyes fell on InuYasha, and she gasped, backing up a step. There was fear in her eyes.  
"Iz-Izumi?" InuYasha croaked, unable to believe his eyes.  
"Don't be afraid, dear," Teruko spoke gently, "These people know you. They're your friends."  
"Friends?" she spoke faintly, eyes riveted on InuYasha.  
"That's right. I think they came looking for you."  
Silence.  
InuYasha stared back, unable to speak or move. It was such a shock to see her...and a worse one to see her looking at him with _fear_ in her eyes.  
He took a step forward, "Izumi-"  
"_Don't!_" she cried, backing up a step, hand out.  
InuYasha froze in place, shocked.  
"Izumi, don't you remember us?" Kagome asked softly.  
"I...I don't know you," Shisuta said, "And my name is Shisuta, not Izumi. I am not this...Izumi."  
Miroku gently cleared his throat, and spoke, "I'm afraid you have lost your memory, Shisuta. Your name _is_ Izumi. Do none of us look familiar to you?"  
Shisuta shook her head, not looking at them.  
"You...you don't remember me?" InuYasha asked quietly, "Not at all?"  
Shisuta shook her head again, "No. I'm not Izumi. My name is Shisuta."  
InuYasha shook his head, and took another step, "But-"  
"Don't come near me!" Shisuta suddenly yelled, looking angry, "Stop!"  
InuYasha blinked, freezing in place. He didn't know what to do, or say.  
"Now Shisuta," Teruko spoke softly, "You don't need to be afraid of them. They're harmless, they even travel with a monk. I doubt they want to harm you."  
Shisuta looked at Teruko, then back at InuYasha. She swallowed, then spoke in a steady voice, "You look like him. Are you with him?"  
"Him? Who do you..." he stopped, "Looks like me? Taller? Older?"  
Shisuta nodded.  
InuYasha's face darkened, "Sesshomaru. Did he hurt you? Are you ok?"  
The tall woman looked at her hands, "Sesshomaru. Yes, that's what the little green thing called him. Lord Sesshomaru."  
Kagome stood beside InuYasha, "Did Sesshomaru hurt you?"  
Shisuta looked at Kagome, then away, quickly, "No. He just frightened me, appearing so suddenly."  
_That's not it,_ Kagome thought, _He did something. But not to hurt you. But it scared you._  
"I'm _not_ with Sesshomaru," InuYasha confirmed, "Not at all. We're not friends, trust me."  
Shisuta settled on the floor, tucking her long legs beneath her. She continued to watch InuYasha warily.  
For his part, InuYasha sat, trying not to stare. He was suddenly aware just how much he missed her, and how much he wanted to talk to her, to tell her about the Shadelings being gone, about him and Kagome. He hadn't realized just how much he _had_ come to consider Izumi family.  
Miroku settled, then spoke, "Shisuta, please...tell us what you can remember. Anything can help."  
She looked at the floor in front of her, speaking lowly. It was clear she was upset.  
"All I can remember is waking up in the water. It was so cold...and I couldn't breathe."  
Sango felt Miroku shudder, and she looked at him, lightly touching his hand. The monk flashed her a grateful smile, and looked back to Shisuta.  
"So you swam to the beach here, and have been staying here ever since?"  
"Yes."  
"And you have no memories of...anything else?"  
"No."  
InuYasha shifted beside Kagome, and she could tell he wanted to talk, to speak, maybe even grab the woman to try and find out what happened. The hanyou never _was_ any good with being patient.  
"I wonder how we're going to get her memory back?" Kagome asked softly.  
Shisuta startled them all by speaking, "I don't want my memory back."  
Everyone stared at her, shocked. Miroku spoke, "You...you don't?"  
"No. I'm perfectly happy here. If I can't remember my other life, perhaps it's because I don't _want_ to."  
InuYasha stared at her, stunned, "But..."  
Shisuta stood up, not meeting their eyes, "I'm sorry, if you came all this way just to find me, but I'm perfectly happy here."  
She turned, and with that, slipped back inside the sleeping area.  
The others just sat, looking stunned.  
"Wait!" InuYasha started to stand, but Kagome grabbed his arm, "No!"  
He looked down at her, "Kagome!?"  
"Leave her be for now, InuYasha. I think she's scared. We'll talk again tomorrow."  
He remained standing for a while, just staring, shocked, at the doorway where Izumi had walked through.

***********************************  
The rain stopped later that evening, but the wind remained high, and the thunder continued to roll overhead.  
Miroku asked Teruko if she would feel better if they returned to their small shelter outside, but the old woman refused.  
"No! The rain may have stopped, but it's still going to be very wet underfoot. Stay here, and do not mind Shisuta. She is normally a very kind person...as I'm sure you probably already know."  
Miroku watched as InuYasha stood, and slipped outside, then he spoke lowly.  
"You say she claims to have no memory beyond waking up in the sea? None at all?"  
"None, monk. We all knew she must be a princess or something, she shows no signs of having done physical labor, and her hair is so long...a normal woman cannot wear hair that long if they are working all day. She _is_ a princess, yes?"  
"Actually, no," Miroku said, startling old Teruko, "She's something much more powerful."  
The old woman stared at the door where Shisuta had dissapeared, and hadn't even come out for food, "I knew someday someone would come for her. I just never knew who it would be." She suddenly turned, and looked at Miroku closely.  
"Your friend, the half-demon. You swear he is trustworthy?"  
"I assure you, InuYasha is not dangerous to anyone who is trustworthy in their own right. He may appear rough, but he has a good heart and soul. Have you been trouble with demons lately?"  
"Aye, that's the thing," Teruko said, slowly lowering herself to the floor, to sit, "We have. And up until Shisuta arrived, we never saw one so near the place."  
Sango frowned, "Tell us about it. Maybe we can help."  
"Well...as I said, we never saw demons around here at all. We're a poor village, why would a demon come all this way? But once Shisuta arrived, we have seen more and more of them. Usually, they are small, but they have been getting bigger. One attacked the village a few weeks ago, a huge thing that pulled itself out of the water."  
"What happened?" Kagome asked.  
"Another demon killed it. One that looks a great deal like your young friend, there."  
Miroku, Shippo, Sango and Kagome all exchanged glances, and the monk spoke, "Like InuYasha? Silver hair, golden eyes? But older, taller?"  
"That's him, yes. Sesshomaru, I believe Shisuta said he was called. He's been hanging about as well, and he is making Shisuta nervous."  
"Hanging around? What is he doing? Is he causing trouble?"  
"Not really, no, other than his presence. One tends to feel uneasy in the presence of such a powerful demon as that, you understand."  
Miroku spoke, "You can sense his power?"  
Teruko nodded, "Aye. I have a small bit of spiritual power. Not much, but one doesn't need much to sense the power in _that_ one."  
"What does he do, when he's here?" Kagome asked, leaning forward.  
"Not much. He only came into the village proper twice. Once, he seemed surprised to see Shisuta here. Called her Lady Izumi. The second time, he came into the village to kill the giant demon that was attacking."  
Sango looked confused, "Sesshomaru, protecting humans?"  
Miroku spoke, "When Sesshomaru killed the demon, was Shisuta about?"  
Teruko nodded, "Oh yes, her and old Soujan were just about to be crushed!"  
Once again, Miroku, Sango, and Kagome exchanged glances.  
"Well, that explains his presence," Sango said softly.  
"Is Iz - er...Shisuta afraid of him?" Kagome asked.  
"She seems uneasy around him, though I do not know why. _However_...Shisuta tends to go out late at night for air, to help her sleep. I _think_ this...Sesshoary person may have approached her, and said something."  
"Sesshomaru," Miroku absently corrected her, thinking, "Hmmm. If he's trying to get her to remember, by force, that might explain her unease."  
He sighed, "This is going to be difficult. If Izumi truly doesn't want to remember, I can't see how we're going to make her."  
"And maybe we shouldn't," Sango said, softly.  
Miroku and Kagome looked at the demon-slayer, startled.  
Sango spoke gently, "Izumi was tired. We talked one night, and...I could _sense_ how old and how weary she was. She devoted her entire life to Amaterasu. If she really is happy here, not remembering...who are we to force her to remember?"  
"Sango, what you say is true," Miroku conceeded, "But we're facing a huge war here, between powerful opposing forces. I think we're going to need Izumi's knowledge if we're to win this."  
Sango sighed.  
Kagome stood up, "I'm going to step outside, look for InuYasha."

*****************************************  
Kagome stepped outside the tiny hut, squinting as the wind blew in her face. The wind was oddly warm, almost hot, and everything still smelled of rain.  
Sand blew up against the side of the hut, making a long, soft sighing sound. In the distance, she could see the ocean, looking like ink in the darkness. Huddled shapes on the sand were boats, turned over to keep from filling with sand. small bits of cloth - flags for individual ships, rags used for cleaning, random door flaps that hadn't been tied down yet - all flapped and crackled and snapped in the wind.  
Thunder rumbled overhead, yet there was no lightning.  
Down towards the water, near one of the overturned boats, the hanyou stood.  
He was back-on to Kagome, looking out over the water, his long silver hair caught and pulled in the wind, the sleeves of his haori dancing as well. He seemed to be gazing out over the sea, motionless. In the darkness, his crimson haori seemed more black than red, and Kagome was suddenly reminded of her odd trip to another world, where she met a different InuYasha. An InuYasha who grew up with both parents, a young feudal lord in his own right. His father, InuTashio, had worn the red cloth of the fire-rat there, and InuYasha had been dressed all in ink black.  
She remembered the confrontation at the well, when she had tried to tell him she had to return home. How he had told her he loved her. Wanted to marry her. To be with her.  
She suddenly wondered what that InuYasha was doing right now. If he was still grieving her loss.  
Sighing, she stepped down from the tiny hut, walking towards him. A particularly violent gust of wind flung sand up at her face, and she raised a hand, holding it to her face, shielding her face as she walked.  
The wind covered the sound of her walking, and it carried her scent away from him. She was almost upon him before he realized she was there.  
He turned, hand going for his Tetsusaiga, acting on instinct, and she was startled, almost _shocked_ at his speed, his quick motion. No matter how many times she saw it, it still managed to take her breath away.  
Seeing her, he relaxed, dropping his hand, and she smiled, "Sorry."  
"Yeah. You shouldn't be out here."  
"Why not?" she asked, stepping up to stand beside him, looking out over the water.  
"The storm..."  
"Rain's over," she said shrugging, "Wind will probably blow all night." She turned and looked at him, "Unless you want to be alone?"  
He snorted lightly, not answering, looking back out over the water.  
"Are you alright?" she asked, quietly.  
InuYasha shrugged.  
Kagome mentally sighed, then spoke, "Use words, InuYasha, I know you have them."  
He gave her an exasperated glare, but spoke, "I don't...know what I'm supposed to do."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I thought...I thought that once she saw me she'd just remember everything." He sighed, "Kind of stupid, huh?"  
"Not really. I sort of thought it too. I guess this is going to be harder than we thought."  
"Yeah."  
They fell silent, each just standing there, looking out over the black sea as the wind whipped the waves.  
_Sesshomaru is here because Izumi's here,_ Kagome thought, _And he didn't save anyone from that demon, other than Izumi. He's probably as confused as we are. How did he find her, I wonder? Teruko said she seemed uneasy around him. What did he do to her? Surely Sesshomaru wouldn't have hurt her? And despite what InuYasha thinks, I can't see Sesshomaru forcing himself on her in some way, like...like trying to rape her or something. Sesshomaru's too arrogant to do that. If a woman didn't come to him, I can't see him having any interest in her. It would almost be...undignified...for him to have to force himself on someone. So why is she ner-_  
"Do you think she's happy here, Kagome?"  
She blinked, coming out of her reverie, and looking up at him. He continued looking out over the black water.  
"I don't know, InuYasha."  
"She _says_ she is. She said she was happy here. If she is...do we have the right to take that away from her?" He turned, and looked at her, gold eyes worried, "It would be wrong to take her from any happiness she was having, here, to go back to being lonely and tired and sad. I...I don't think I can do that."  
"InuYasha."  
"The...the whole time she was looking at me, I kept expecting her to..." he paused, and Kagome was a little startled to see him faintly blushing. It was almost impossible to see in the low light, but it was there.  
"Kept expecting her to smile at me and call me "dear" like she does. She calls everyone "dear", you know? Or to ask me how I was feeling, or what was going on, or...and it...feels..._wrong_...that she's not."  
_It hurts, is what you mean,_ Kagome thought, _You don't know how to say it, but you're saying it hurts she doesn't remember you._  
"If she's forgotten _everything_...maybe she really _doesn't_ want to remember."  
Kagome sighed, "Miroku and Sango are talking about that too, inside. But...I don't think it's up to us, InuYasha. We're forgetting about Mikado, and Amaterasu."  
He just looked at her, unhappy.  
"Yeah. They need to know, don't they?"  
"Yes, they do."  
He sighed, and nodded, "I guess we better tell Mikado, then."

******************************  
It didn't take long for the younger Senmin to show up. She seemed to be able to hear them when they called mentally to her, either by hearing them herself, or being heard by Amaterasu and Mikado being told she was needed.  
"What is it, what's up?" she asked, when she appeared.  
InuYasha gazed at her, arms crossed, "You're not gonna believe this, but we found Izumi."  
Mikado blinked, "What? Where? Where is she buried?"  
"She's not," InuYasha said gruffly, before Kagome could say anything, "She's back there in that village, alive. Only she calls herself Shishuta now."  
Mikado just stared at him, unable to process thought. After a second, she barked, _"WHAT?!"_  
Kagome stepped in, trying to speak more gently, "Mikado, Myoga came to us and told us Izumi was living in that village there, but that she had no memory. We came to check it out, and...he's right. It's Izumi. Only she has no memory of anything, and she's called Shisuta."  
"That doesn't make any sense! How did she get _here_? What do you mean, she can't remember!?"  
"She says the first thing she can remember is waking up under the water, out there, in the sea. She swam in here, and the villagers took her in. But she can't remember who she is or...she can't remember anything."  
Mikado turned, and looked at the small village, a stern look on her face, "Well, we'll just see about _that_!"


	3. Wind, Sand, and Swords

The younger senmin didn't have Izumi's grace or social skills. She pushed back the door covering with a clatter, and walked in, looking around, almost challenging. Four pairs of eyes looked up at her, startled. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Teruko. The old woman started to stand up, protesting, and Miroku put out a calming hand, "It's ok, Teruko, Lady Mikado is with us."  
"Lady Mikado?"  
"I told you, monk, don't call me that. Now where is Izumi?"  
"Mikado...Izumi doesn't remember-"  
"I know, I've just been filled in. Where is she, I need to see her with my own eyes." She raised her head, "Shishuta!? Come out!"  
The door covering was pushed back, and InuYasha and Kagome stepped inside, pausing.  
"Mikado, you...you can't just-"  
There was a startled exclamation from behind the sleeping area curtain, and it was pushed back, and Izumi stepped into the room.  
Mikado gasped, hand going to her face, disbelieving.  
"Iz... Izumi?"  
The other woman stood staring back at Mikado, startled.  
Mikado shook her head, as if not believing, and when she spoke, her voice was broken, _"Oh Izumi..._"  
Shishuta glared at the other woman, "Who are you? I am _not_ Izumi! All of you, go away! Teruko, must they stay here!?" Mikado continued looking at Izumi in shocked silence for a moment, then spoke, her voice oddly calm.  
"No, it's ok..Teruko, is it? It's fine. We'll go stay somewhere else. Thank you." She turned, looking at Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, "Come, we've intruded on their hospitality long enough."  
Looking confused, they stood up. Teruko looked at them, worriedly, "But the storm is likely to start again."  
"That's fine," Mikado flashed a charming smile at the old woman, "We won't feel a thing."  
They trooped back out into the high wind, and gathered around Mikado.  
"Do you guys know of a little clearing around here or anything? I'll put up a shield, protect us from the storm. We need to talk, badly."

****************************  
They led Mikado back to the little area where they had first set up a makeshift camp, and the Senmin put up barriers, blocking the wind, and most likely the rain if it ever started up again. A faint breeze was allowed through, to carry their campfire smoke out, where it was instantly whipped away. It felt odd, sitting in the middle of warm calmness while the storm battered around them.  
Mikado sat near the fire, looking into it, "It took me by surprise, that's for sure. I...never expected to see her again. And not _here_."  
"Yeah, you can say that again," InuYasha said lowly.  
"Mikado," Miroku said, "Surely you know of a way to return Lady Izumi's memories to her?"  
Mikado sighed, "I haven't a clue."  
He blinked at her.  
Mikado looked uncomfortable, and it made her cranky, "We don't know everything, Miroku. The human mind, demon mind..." she nodded to InuYasha, .."hanyou mind. It's a mystery to us as well as you. How it works, _why_ it works. Memories and thoughts in a hunk of funny-looking flesh? There are things we can do to heal the mind, at times, but even as we heal it, we don't understand how it works. Mother Amaterasu might be able to come down and do something, but...even that's tricky."  
"But she's a godess!" Shippo cried, "Can't the gods do anything?"  
Mikado smiled at the Kitsune child, "We'd all like to think that, kiddo, but it's not how it works. Even the Gods don't know how the mind works, at least that's the impression they've given me over the years. They can often fix them...sort of like giving a faulty water pump a good kick to get it going again, but if you kick a pump too hard, it can break. Same with minds. Mother Amaterasu might be able to come down here and wave a hand, and Izumi might suddenly remember everyting. Or she could wave a hand, and Izumi's mind might go pop and she becomes a drooling idiot for the rest of her life. The mind's very tricky."  
InuYasha suddenly remember the time Kagome used the Shikon, entirely by accident. She had been hurt, hurt in her mind. She had become like a child for a few days, unable to talk, innocent and unknowing. Kaede had explained she had, in effect, pulled a muscle in her mind. Over the next few days she had learned to walk, to talk. Her memories had returned.  
"So what are we supposed to do?" Sango asked, gently.  
Mikado sighed again, "I don't know. Maybe if we keep at her, gently, talking about things that happened when she was around, like Sokai's birthday, she might start to remember again, but..."  
"And Amaterasu can't do _anything_?" InuYasha asked, angry.  
Mikado lifted her gaze from the fire, and met his eyes, "InuYasha, Amaterasu can't _find_ Izumi."  
He blinked, "What the hell do you mean? She's just there!" He pointed.  
Mikado shook her head, angry, twin braids flapping back and forth, "I don't mean that, I mean she still can't _sense_ her! It's as if Izumi doesn't _exist_ to her!"  
"How is that possible?" Kagome asked.  
Mikado shrugged, angry, "Hell if I know. It's like something is blocking her presence from our Lady. But I don't sense a damn thing! I can _see_ her, but I can't _feel_ her, not the way I used to, or even the way I can sense you, Kagome, or you, Shippo. I could close my eyes and find any one of you on the other side of this world. It's a Senmin's power. But I can't sense Izumi at all!"  
InuYasha looked hard at Mikado, gold eyes angry, "Doesn't that mean a God has to be blocking her?"  
Mikado looked at him, confused, "What?"  
The hanyou's voice was angry, "It's how Amaterasu blocked my mother from Izumi, isn't it? How she hid her, hid _us_?"  
There was an uncomfortable pause, and Mikado shifted, "InuYasha..."  
"Look. I'm not here to talk about what happened. Amaterasu was _wrong_ to do what she did. She was _wrong_ and it was _cruel_ to leave my mother _alone in this world with a hanyou child, knowing everyone would turn on her!_" His fangs flashed as old, inner anger, hatred, welled up from a deep, dark place. He paused, clenching his fists, forcing the anger down, before speaking again, a little more calmly, "But it was a _goddess_ that did it. Doesn't that mean it's a god or goddess that's doing the same to Izumi right now?"  
Mikado blinked, shocked, "I...Gods and Goddesses, InuYasha, that never came to me! Someone _must_ be purposfully blocking her, and it would have to be a god or goddess who's doing it. It would _have_ to be."  
"Or someone _almost_ a god?" Sango said lowly.  
Mikado blinked at the demon-slayer, and her face darkened, "Keimetsu. Yes. It's possible. He's been growing in power since the _last_ time he tried to take over this plane of existance. He _could_ have that power. But if he does...then he's a lot stronger than even _we_ thought."  
"There's a cheery thought," Miroke said, morosely.  
"I need to talk to her a little longer, before I can really get a good idea on what's going on inside her mind," Mikado said, "Maybe you guys should head back, I don't know..."  
Kagome was startled as InuYasha suddenly stood up, turning, and walking away from the camp, almost _running_. He passed through Mikado's shield easily, hair and haori billowing to the side as he stepped into the strong wind.  
Mikado looked at him, unhappily.  
"He's so upset about this," Kagome said, starting to stand up, "That Izumi doesn't know who he is."  
"And...does..." Mikado fell silent, glancing at the others.  
Miroku spoke, "Kagome told us what happened, yes. But InuYasha still does not know all this is a result of his actions."  
"We can't tell him, please," Kagome begged, and turned, moving after the hanyou.  
She ran through the shield, putting a hand up to block her face from the wind, throwing stinging sand all over the place, and she called out to him, "InuYasha!?"  
There was no reply, only the howl of the wind.  
She could just make out his form, down towards the far end of the beach, moving quickly, heading straight into the wind.  
_Don't make me chase you,_ she thought, pushing her way through the wind, _I can't keep up with you._  
Kagome leaned into the wind, running after him. His footprints were vanishing in the sand as she ran, and she worried she might miss him.  
Why was he running? Was he truly that upset?  
His footsteps became shorter as he seemed to slow, and there were a few in one place, where he seemed to have turned around. Was he looking for something?  
They were off again, and she could just make them out, almost buried in sand now, but she ran, calling out to him.  
"InuYasha?"  
A sudden fierce gust of wind almost took her off her feet, and she cursed under her breath. Mentally, she laughed. Since meeting InuYasha, her vocabulary had certainly been expanded.  
"InuYa-"  
Eyes almost closed, she literally bumped into him as he turned back, heading back towards her.  
"Kagome!? What are you doing out here?"  
"Why did you run off, InuYasha?" She looked up at him, trying to shield her face from the stinging sand, "Come back to the shelter!"  
He raised an arm, using one of his long sleeves to give her face some shelter, "Go back, Kagome, don't be an idiot!"  
"I'm not going to just leave you out here!" she yelled to be heard over the wind.  
"I said go _back!"_ he yelled, angry, startling her. He grabbed her by the shoulders, and turned her, literally pushing her back towards the shelter.  
Angry, Kagome shook him off, turning to look back at him, "What's the matter with you!? I came out to get you-!"  
"And you can see I'm _fine_, now go _back_!" his face was almost flushed with anger.  
_What's wrong with him?_  
"Hey! If you think I'm just going to-!"  
"_Godsdamnit_ Kagome, _listen to me and get the hell back to the shelter! Now!"_  
"Don't you tell me what to-"  
He stepped forward again, grabbing her arm roughly, "I'm not kidding, Kagome. Go _back_."  
She was starting to feel a tiny bit scared. He was acting so odd, so angry and intense.  
"What is it?" she asked him, grabbing his arm in return, "Is it Jemu? It the other Shadeling here?"  
He moved to answer her, but suddenly he stiffened, and still holding her arm, turned, looking out into the storm.  
Kagome turned as well, looking, following his gaze.  
For a second, she saw nothing, but then the wind died down slightly, and from the darkness, stepped Sesshomaru.  
Kagome blinked, startled, dread starting to rise up inside her when she saw he had Tokijin drawn.  
InuYasha moved, standing before Kagome, starting to back up, pushing Kagome behind him as he moved, body tense, wary.  
The demon lord spoke, his voice icy, almost calm, but deadly.  
"You didn't answer my question, _half-breed._" Sesshomaru spoke.  
He raised Tokijin, pointing it directly at InuYasha.  
"What happened to Izumi on that island?"

Before her, InuYasha tensed, keeping Kagome behind him.  
_Oh no,_ Kagome thought, _bad, this is bad._  
"I _told_ you, Sesshomaru," InuYasha's voice was hard, "You know as much as I do. Something on that island either killed Izumi, or caused her death! She sent me back before I could find out anything!"  
The demon lord continued to walk towards InuYasha, Tokijin out, calmly pacing forward. InuYasha continued backing up, pushing Kagome back as he went, cursing under his breath. Of all the times for Kagome to follow him, why now?  
"You expect me to believe," Sesshomaru said, almost pleasantly, "that Izumi was slain by some sort of portal? A portal that she had managed to close before?"  
"That's what happened!" Kagome called out, her voice almost shrill.  
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her, and she felt InuYasha tense even further. He hissed, almost too low to hear over the howl of the wind, "Kagome, keep _quiet_!"  
"And how is _you_ know of this, human?"  
Kagome blinked, "M-me? Because InuYasha told me!"  
"She wasn't even there, Sesshomaru! Leave her out of this!"  
"Then perhaps you should tell your wench to keep her mouth shut."  
Not turning, keeping his eyes on the demon lord, InuYasha reached back behind him, ane pushed Kagome back farther, "Go back to the others. _Now._"  
_Mikado!_ Kagome called out in her mind, loudly, backing up a step, _Help!_  
Another howl of wind, and InuYasha pulled his Tetsusaiga, waiting as it flared to life. He held it out before him, two-handed, wary.  
"And what are _you_ doing here, Sesshomaru?" he demanded, "Hanging around a human village? That's not like you."  
"Do you truly think _I_ need justify my actions to _you_?"  
Sesshomaru lunged.  
InuYasha lunged forward, bringing up the Tetsusaiga, using it as a shield, to block Tokijin. There was a squeal of metal against metal. Blade pushed against blade for a second, and then both backed off, lunging backwards.  
Kagome kept clear, knowing her presence would only hinder InuYasha, not help. She stayed as far back as she could, while still watching, worried, hands in fists.  
Again they clashed, and again they broke off. Sesshomaru pushed his attack forward, InuYasha having to back up slightly to keep him in his sight. They moved in amongst the pillars of the wrecked wharf.  
"How long have you know about Izumi being here?!" InuYasha demanded, furious, "How long did you know she was alive and didn't _tell_ anyone?"  
"You need to remember your place!"  
The demon lord lunged again, and InuYasha lunged to the side. Tokijin swept down, neatly severing one of the wharf pillars in two, the top sliding and falling to the sand with a heavy thud.  
Mikado appeared, running up to Kagome, Miroku and Sango right behind her. There was a group of villagers there as well, Shisuta among them. A tall man stood beside her, one hand on her arm, as if ready to pull her to safety should it be needed.  
Mikado took one look at the two fighting, and cursed, loudly, "Oh I should have known! Can't the two of you even stand in one place together and not try to slice each other into itty little bits?"  
She raised her hands, fingers pointing up, palms facing each other, fingers crooked in a strange gesture, glaring at the two combatants between her hands.  
InuYasha cursed, and jumped towards Sesshomaru, swinging Tetsusaiga in a wide arc, intending on trying to disarm the older demon.  
Almost casually, Sesshomaru raised Tokijin, deflecting Tetsusaiga. He moved in a quick gesture, a flicking motion, and InuYasha went flying backwards, crashing into another pillar. It cracked, and tilted crazily.  
Sesshomaru lunged forward, Tokijin pointed outwards, intending in impaling the hanyou to the pillar.  
A spark crackled between Mikado's hands.  
A voice suddenly cried out against the howling wind, sharp and piercing.  
"_No!"_  
They turned, all of them, to see Shisuta standing, eyes wide, horrified, one hand out towards the two fighting half-brothers, as if she could grab them, pulling them apart.  
Nothing was said.  
Nothing _could_ be said, for at that moment, Mikado's attack went ripping outwards.  
A great gout of sand blasted upwards, showering both InuYasha and Sesshomaru. A savage blast of wind tore at them, pulling, roaring as if enraged. Both fought to remain standing, but even the great demon lord could not stand against the attack of a Senmin, and he staggered backwards, sinking to one knee. He sank Tokijin into the sand, and held onto it, as if an anchor. His hair streamed out behind him like a silver river.  
InuYasha merely hunkered down where he was sitting, arms over his face to keep the sand from his eyes, holding his breath.  
For another second, the wind howled, in the opposite direction it had naturally been blowing, forcing Sesshomaru and InuYasha still, unmoving.  
Mikado lowered her hands, and the wind suddenly vanished.  
Small bits of debris, sand, the occasional seashell, all fell to the sand with assorted thunks and tinks.  
InuYasha lifted his head, staring at Mikado. All his exposed skin was ruddy from being sandblasted.  
_"What the hell was that for!?"_  
"For being an idiot," Mikado said calmly, eyes closed, brusing her palms free of sand.  
She opened her eyes, and fixed both the hanyou and the demon lord with a murderous glare, "I don't care how much the two of you hate each other. Knock it off. This is not the time or the place for a family squabble."  
She looked at Sesshomaru, hard, as he rose, sedate, sheathing Tokijin. The young Senmin's voice was firm.  
"My apologies, Lord Sesshomaru, but My Lady has need of InuYasha, so I would rather you didn't skewer him to a pillar."  
InuYasha, standing now, snorted.  
Sesshomaru remained standing, but he wasn't looking at the hanyou, or Mikado.  
His attention seemed to be taken with Shisuta. The tall woman had lowered her hand, and now hid them at her sides, as if embarassed. She had half turned away, upset at her outburst. The tall human man was talking lowly to her, and he followed behind her as she turned, and walked away.  
A second later, without a word to anyone, no expression on his usual mask of a face, the demon lord turned as well, and silently strode from the beach.  
Kagome let out a long, relieved sigh.

InuYasha stood up, sheathing Tetsusaiga, and started walking back towards the others. The other villagers turned, walking back to their homes, unhappy with the demonic attention they were getting as of late. InuYasha watched Shisuta - Izumi - walk back with them, and noticed the human man that walked next to her, close to her.  
He sighed, frusterated.  
Mikado walked up behind him, and slapped him up the back of the head. InuYasha staggered, startled, and turned, one hand to the back of his head, angry, _"Hey!"_  
Mikado glowered at him, "You mind not getting yourself killed before the final war? I don't want to have to look Izumi in the eye when she comes back and tell her I let Sesshomaru carve you up. Not on my watch!"  
"What does it matter!?" InuYasha yelled, "Izumi's not getting her memories back! I doubt she'd care too damn much if Sesshomaru _did_ defeat me, _which_ wouldn't happen!"  
"Oh brother," Mikado groaned, rubbing her face. She lowered her hands, and met his eyes, "Actually, InuYasha, I'm pretty sure Izumi _will_ get her memories back. At least, I _think_ she will, once we use our secret weapon."  
He blinked at her, "What secret weapon?"  
Mikado grinned, "You."


	4. Preparing

They sat in the small shelter again, gathered around the fire. Kagome fed the flames, Shippo fighting to stay awake on her lap. Miroku and Sango were watching InuYasha and Mikado talking, the hanyou obviously upset.  
"What did you mean, I was your secret weapon?"  
Mikado looked around at the others, "Did anyone else notice Izumi - Shisuta - spoke up when InuYasha and Sesshomaru were fighting? She seemed upset."  
Kagome nodded, "I did notice that."  
"I think Sesshomaru did too," Sango murmured. Miroku thought he was the only one to hear her, and he looked at her, confused.  
Mikado had continued, "Why would a woman who doesn't remember any of you care if two strangers fight. Including one that supposedly did something to make her uneasy? She shouldn't care. But she did."  
"What are you saying?" InuYasha asked.  
Mikado picked up a stick, and poked the fire with it, "I'm saying that I think Izumi _is_ in there, somewhere. Way down deep, but there. On a gut level, she didn't like seeing the two of you fighting. Especially when it looked like Sesshomaru might get the upper hand."  
InuYasha crossed his arms, scowling.  
Mikado "tsk'd" at him, "Sesshomaru is more powerful than you are. He's older, he's a full demon, and he's more powerful. Deal with it."  
Kagome cleared her throat, trying to head off any fight that might start, "So...if Izumi _does_ remember InuYasha and Sesshomaru, why doesn't she talk to them? Why does she insist she's not Izumi?"  
"I don't think she _knows_, not really. I think she's acting on gut instinct. Something happened with Sesshomaru that made her uneasy - it could have been as simple as the demon lord trying to get her to remember who she is, but it was enough to make her uneasy. Yet she seems to still have certain feelings about the both of you - and you in particular, InuYasha."  
InuYasha snorted, scowling into the fire. Her comments still stung.  
Miroku spoke, "So what is it you want InuYasha to do?"  
"I want him to confront Shisuta."  
InuYasha blinked, turning to her, "You what?"  
"You have to confront her. Try to get her to remember who you are. To remember _Izumi_. I think _you're_ more likely to break through her barrier than anyone else."  
InuYasha stared at Mikado in silence for a second, then looked away, clearly uncomfortable.  
"I.."  
"InuYasha?" Kagome gently prodded.  
He spoke again, "What right do we have to force her to remember something she willingly fought to forget?"  
Mikado sighed deeply, "We're heading to _war_, InuYasha. We _need_ Izumi to do this."  
"Why!?" he turned back, glaring at Mikado, "_Why_ do we need her? _You're_ a Senmin! _You're_ capable of doing anything she had to do! She didn't have to do anything where her powers were needed because they were greater than yours! _You_ take her place! Isn't that what you would have to do if she died in battle or something?! You're the second Handmaiden, doesn't that mean you would normally take her place!?"  
Mikado's face darkened, and she leaned forward, "Yes, you cretin! It does! But this isn't any normal thing! The universe is _always_ fighting for balance, and Izumi and I have often had to go fight something or other! Sometimes we even had to fight back against Senmin of other Gods if something had happened! But _this is no ordinary thing! This is a war amongst a goddess and a demi-god for complete destruction of everything!_ Haven't you been listening to her!? If we lose, _everything_ is _gone_! You, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, those villagers, this land, the earth, the sun, stars, universe, _everything!_"  
She took a breath, and spoke again before InuYasha had a chance to, "You want to keep her happy? In that village? Sure! I would too! She seems centered for the first time since I ever knew her! I'd _love_ to see her stay here, marry someone, have kids, grow old, do everything a human normally does! But what do you think is going to happen when we go to war and we lose because Izumi's not there? She'll just dissapear! No happy ending for her! No kids, nothing!"  
"Alright, alright, I get it," he grumbled.  
"Do you? I hope to the Gods you do! What we have to do is mean, InuYasha, and even cruel. But in a way you're saving her life too, because without her, we lose, and then she disappears along with everyone and everything else."  
"Excuse me, please," Sango said gently, "But...why is Izumi so necessary? You _are_ a Senmin. Does she have a huge part to play in this war?"  
Mikado shook her head, leaning back, looking tired, "It's not that. Izumi was the one who made alliances amongst others, others who will be needed in this war. Some will be here, on this plane of existance, some will be on others, fighting their own wars against Keimet's minions. But Izumi was the one who made the alliances, and they will _only_ deal with her. They won't talk to me at all."  
"Gee, I wonder why?" InuYasha quipped, sarcastically.  
Mikado leaned forward, and slapped InuYasha upside the head again.  
"Hey!" the hanyou snarled.  
"I don't see _you_ becoming the spokesman for your little group, hothead," Mikado snapped, "We're both doers, InuYasha, you and I, not talkers. Izumi can overlook insults, and remain calm in the face of arrogance and rudeness, and for that reason, she's become the powerful person she is. She hardly ever gets angry. And that's useful when looking for allies."  
Miroku nodded, "It is, indeed. So..." he took a breath, "How is InuYasha to do this?"  
"He's going to have to talk to her about the things that are most likely to register with her. Namely, Izayoi and InuTashio."  
InuYasha looked up, shocked. His face darkened, "No. No way! Forget it!"  
"Then how else are we going to break through, InuYasha? She's forgotten me! I don't know if just talking about being a Senmin will do anything. But she's always held her memories of your mother and father close and dear. If anything is going to break through to her, it's that."  
"And I said forget it! I'll talk about something else, but not that. That's too damn personal."  
"That's what we _need_, you lunkhead! Personal!"  
Kagome suddenly remembered when Izumi had shown her another world, a place distant, a world where InuYasha had grown up with his parents alive. He had been a young feudal lord, alive and happy. When Kagome had returned, Izumi had pressed her for details about his parents, what they were like, how they had been. She had told Kagome that she couldn't travel the way Kagome had, and hadn't been able to see them. Kagome knew Izumi missed InuYasha's parents, very much.  
"- you deaf!?" InuYasha said, sitting beside her, leaning forward, glaring at Mikado, _"I said no."_  
"InuYasha," Kagome said, softly, "Mikado might be right."  
He turned to her, shocked, "What?"  
Kagome raised a hand in a placating gesture, "All I mean is that in the end, she might be right. We may _have_ to use your parents to try and bring Izumi's memories back."  
He looked at her, suddenly looking lost, and unhappy.  
Kagome looked at Mikado sternly, leaning forward, _"BUT_...InuYasha has the right to try something else first, Mikado. He's right. Talking about his parents is personal and he won't say it, but it upsets him. So let him try something else first."  
"We might not have time, Kag-"  
"Then we'll _make_ time!" Kagome snapped, startling everyone there, "You Senmin have been waiting for this war for centuries. What's another day? If he can do it without hurting anyone, we owe it to Izumi to try, and _you_ owe it to _him_ to let him try it his way!"  
InuYasha was staring at Kagome, shocked, a faint line of red across his nose as he watched her so vehemently defend his decision. He opened his mouth to speak, startled again when Miroku spoke up.  
"He's right, Mikado. Of us all, InuYasha's given the most, and had to sacrifice the most. We've all suffered, but he's lost more than most of us. Let him try it his own way first."  
Beside the monk, Sango nodded, "You owe that to him."  
Mikado sat looking at them, startled as well. She threw her hands into the air, "Fine! Try it you way, then."  
She seemed to fume for a second, then relented, and spoke quieter, "And for what it's worth, InuYasha, I hope you _do_ bring her out of it easily. I don't want her...or you...hurting. I'm...just...really bad at showing it."  
She sighed, then stood up, "I'm going to go back. Mother Amaterasu and the others will want to know she's alive. Well...Amaterasu already knows. Aratok is devastated, and Kagura is so upset."  
"Kagura!?" Inuyasha blinked.  
Mikado nodded, "She's very loyal to Izumi, you know."  
InuYasha muttered under his breath.  
Mikado bent down and picked up a long piece of driftwood, skinny and pale. She concentrated on it, and a strange glow started along it's length, flickering for a second before fading out. She held it out to Kagome.  
"Here. This barrier will stay up, here, until you're finished with it. When you don't want it anymore, just crack the wood in half. It won't last longer than a week, though."  
Kagome nodded, tucking the driftwood down beside her, "Thank you."  
The Senmin walked out of the barrier, into the blackness, and vanished from sight.  
They all watched her leave, then sighed as one.  
"Well," Sango spoke in the silence, "We'll be sleeping here tonight, I imagine. We're going to need water, and some firewood. I'll get the water, if someone else gathers the firewood."  
"I can do that," Miroku said, standing up.  
InuYasha started to rise, but the monk shook his head, "InuYasha, if you could dig a fire pit for us? We can have something warm to eat soon, and then maybe talk this out." Both Miroku and Sango moved out of the barrier, hunching over to keep the wind from their faces.  
InuYasha nodded, and moved to the center of the area, and started using his hands to move sand out of the way. Kagome stood, and started walking around the edge of the barrier, picking up rocks and stones to line the pit. After an armful, she walked back, and both her and InuYasha started lining the pit.  
"Thanks," he said quietly, eyes on the stones.  
Kagome blinked at him for a second, then smiled, "They weren't far. I only had-"  
"Not the rocks!" he huffed, looking across the pit at her.  
Kagome met his eyes, confused slightly, then smiled, "You don't have to thank me."  
He startled her by flushing slightly, and taking another rock, plunking it down into the pit.  
Kagome smiled, "It's true. You deserve a chance to try this in an easier manner." The smile faded from her face, and she sat back on her heels, "Sometimes we have to do mean things, even though we're working on the side of good. It's not fair, but...sometimes, that's how it goes. But if it can be done easier, it should be."  
He just nodded, still blushing slightly.  
Kagome watched him a second, and smiled. It had touched the hanyou. Surprised him, and touched him, that everyone had instantly taken his side against Mikado.  
InuYasha levered a stone into place against the sand, where it would absorb the heat from the fire and radiate it back, keeping the little area good and hot for cooking. He couldn't seem to get their words, their voices out of his head.  
_"Then __**make**__ time!"..."Of us all, InuYasha's given the the most, and had to sacrifice the most. We've all suffered, but he's lost more than most of us."..."You owe that to him."..."No. If you aren't welcome here, InuYasha, we certainly have no interest in staying here either. We don't want to dirty our feet by walking in any village that won't accept you on first sight."..."Then they'll just have to trust a monk, and allow his hanyou friend within the village, won't they?"_  
_Sometimes...I forget how strong they can be, in the face of other humans. Getting angry over stupid things...because they don't like how I've been treated._ Keeping his eyes on the sandy fire pit, he suddenly felt a burst of almost savage pride. They were _his_. They belonged to him. They were good people, strong, true, and loyal. Gods, they were loyal. And they were _his_.  
And the Gods help anyone who tried to hurt any of them.  
There was a sudden cry, breaking off into laughter, and he looked up to see Miroku and Sango burst back into the barrier. Their hair was wild and messed, Sango's half over her face, the monk's having lost the tie and hanging loosely again. They were also dripping, as it had suddenly opened up and started pouring again.  
Sango knelt, putting down the buckets of water, pushing her sopping hair out of her face, laughing. "The wind took half my water from the bucket, but it rained right back in again!"  
InuYasha sat back, looking her over, and smiled. Her hair was dark, and her eyes were sparkling with laughter.  
"Lucky you didn't take flight," he said, and she laughed again.  
"I think I did," Miroku said, putting his wood down beside the fire pit, sodden robes squelching slightly, "The wind got under my robes, and for a minute I thought I was in trouble."  
InuYasha gazed at Miroku as Kagome handed out towels, and gave the monk an elastic for his hair. He thought about all the times the monk's normally cheerful, happy face had turned serious, trying to get him to understand something critical to him, or in defense of him. Miroku was the first man who had ever offered him a hand in friendship. And they had walked through a lot of hell together.  
_I have to tell them. They need to know. Damnit, I'm so bad at this crap..._  
"I...uh..." he started, and suddenly blinked as they all turned to him, listening. Now that they were actually _looking_ at him, his mouth wanted to stop working.  
All the old rules. All the old walls. You never showed emotion. You never let anyone know you maybe, possibly liked them, because they'd just turn on you. Because everyone turns on you.  
Kagome knelt, "InuYasha?"  
"I just...uuhhh..." InuYasha suddenly took a handful of the old driftwood and started breaking it up, shoving it into the firepit, "I.."  
Now Sango was looking worried, "InuYasha?"  
_Godsdamnit tongue, work. They won't turn on you. They'd never turn on you. You know that._  
"You guys, you...uh...what you said to Mikado, and...you know, the...the..at the village..."  
Miroku and Sango looked at each other, growing a little more worried, "Is something wrong?" Miroku asked.  
"No! I just..." cursing in his mind, he savagely snapped up more wood.  
_Why is this stupid crap so Godsdamned hard?_  
He suddenly blinked when a hand lightly touched his. He looked up at Kagome, who was smiling at him.  
"Just say it, InuYasha. I know what you want to say. You want to say it. So just say it."  
He caught his tongue before he snapped at her. Now he had everyone's attention, and he felt like an idiot. An utter idiot.  
"Thanks," he mumbled, "For...what you said."  
Miroku and Sango blinked, and both beamed.  
"You don't have to thank us for that, InuYasha," Miroku said cheerfully, not wanting to make an emotional moment out of it for the hanyou's sake, "That's what friends do, after all."  
"That's right," Sango smiled, "We don't expect to be thanked."  
"Now then," the monk quickly said, changing the topic swiftly, "I don't know about any of you, and I hate to rush anyone, but I am absolutely starving. What shall we have?"

The next day, they rose, had a light breakfast, and then discussed what to do.  
"InuYasha, do you want us to accompany you, or would you rather try to talk to Izumi alone?"  
InuYasha shrugged, then spoke, "I'd better try it alone, I guess. Too many will make her uneasy. Maybe if just I talk to her..."  
Miroku nodded, "You're probably right. Well...I suppose Sango, Kagome, Shippo and I can make an inventory of our supplies, see what we have and what we are likely to need."  
"That's a good idea," Kagome nodded, "I know I should check our first aid kits. We're always using them."  
Taking a deep breath, InuYasha stood up, and left the shelter.

He found Shisuta outside. The sun had risen this morning, and there was almost no sign of the storm the night before. The sun was warm on his skin, the sky a brilliant blue. The sand was already feeling warm under his feet.  
Shisuta was just returning with a basket of food she had taken out to the fishermen. The unmarried men had purchased some food from her and the old woman to take fishing with them, and she was walking back.  
There were a few children with her, mostly young girls, who seemed to flock to her. The oldest was near Kohaku's age.  
When Shisuta saw him, she stopped, watching him warily.  
"Uh...hey." InuYasha stopped a distance from her, not sure how close he could get before she started panicking.  
The children and young women also eyed him a little warily.  
Shisuta spoke, "What can I do for you?"  
"Uh...nothing. I...uh..."  
_Damnit, I should have brought Kagome with me. She'd be better at getting started at this._  
"I wanted to say I...um...I'm sorry if I...you know...startled you the other night."  
The guarded, wary look on her face seemed to ease up a tiny bit, and she nodded, "I shouldn't have been so inhospitable."  
She turned, and started walking again, the children falling into step around her. InuYasha started to follow, wracking his brain, trying to think up some way to start talking to her about who she was.  
Shisuta put down the basket, and paused to pull up her pant legs, preparing to go out into the shallow water. The children already had clam buckets, and started to wade out.  
InuYasha approached the older woman, "Uh..is there...anything you need here, or...I mean, anything I can help with, or..."  
Shisuta - Izumi - stood up, watching him closely for a second. She seemed to be trying to decide if he were being honest, or was just being sarcastic. After a second, she smiled, and it was such an _Izumi_ smile, InuYasha started.  
"No, that's fine, and thank you. We really don't need much here."  
"Um. Yeah, alright. Can I...can I ask you something?"  
A slightly wary look came back to her eyes, "Yes."  
"You said...you said you remember waking up in the water?"  
That's right."  
InuYasha turned, gazing out at the water as Shisuta walked past him, wading out to look for clams.  
_Why did she wake up in the __**water**__? Did Sesshomaru just dump her body somewhere? And why did she wake up? I don't get it. It's been so long since she died...unless she __**didn't**__ die, not at the start. Then she died later, and...Sesshomaru dumped her body. I can see that bastard doing that. But then why did she come back?_  
A tug on his pantsleg snapped him back to attention, and he looked down, blinking, at a little boy who stood looking up at him, eyes wide.  
"Why do you have funny ears?"  
InuYasha sighed, _Give me strength._  
"Because I'm a half demon." he answered, waiting for the inevitable response.  
"The other one doesn't have funny ears."  
InuYasha regarded the child closely, "Othe - oh. Sesshomaru. Yeah, he doesn't have ears like me." He paused, then spoke again, "Does he come around here a lot? The one that looks like me?"  
The little boy nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged.  
"Well, which is it?" InuYasha asked, exasperated.  
"Not always, but sometimes he's here. Usually in the forest. Sometimes he comes down to the beach at night, but not always. Sometimes it's that little green thing."  
"Jakken?" InuYasha frowned, "What the hell is he doing on the beach?"  
"Is he her friend?"  
"Who? Sesshomaru? I doubt it."  
"But he tried to kiss her."  
InuYasha did a double take, "He _what_?"  
The little boy nodded, "On the beach one night. I couldn't sleep. When I can't sleep I sneak up onto my roof and look at the moon and stars."  
InuYasha frowned, thinking. Sesshomaru? Tried to kiss _Izumi_? No _wonder_ she was frightened of him!  
"He must be her friend," the little boy said seriously, "Because he tried to kiss her and he took her swimming and stuff."  
"Swimming? What are you talking about?"  
"A little while ago! Right after the big wave came in and smashed everything up! It was so big! It broke up the old wharf, boom!" The little boy laughed.  
InuYasha went down on one knee beside the little boy, "What do you mean, he took her swimming? After the big wave? What did you see?"  
"Right after the really big wave, I went down past where the wharf broke up. There was all kinds of neat stuff on the beach! Dead fish, and seastars, and bits of boat, and-"  
"Tell me about the _swimming_!"  
"Oh yeah. Well, I saw that really tall man that looks like you come out. He was carrying Shisuta in his arms. And he went down to the water. He _walked_ on the water, it was neat! And then he put her in the water."  
InuYasha watched the child's face closely, "And then what?"  
The little boy shrugged, "The tall man went away."  
"Did he take Shisuta with him?"  
The little boy shook his head.  
InuYasha turned, looking out at Izumi in the water as she gathered clams.  
_Sesshomaru brought her body to sea. He put her to rest at sea. She __**did**__ die. But why did she come back? How?  
He tried to __**kiss**__ her?_  
InuYasha stood up, and the little boy ran down to the water with his friends.  
_That son of a bitch is keeping a lot of secrets he has no business keeping. Bastard._  
He sighed.  
Time to get to work.


	5. Severe Return

InuYasha walked away from the water, heading back towards the small hut Shisuta shared with the old woman. If he was going to talk to her...really talk to her...then he wanted to talk to her alone. Only there were other houses nearby. If they started yelling, he didn't want the other villagers to show up.  
Maybe he could talk to her on the path, then.  
InuYasha hovered around, not sure what to do, and it made him feel foolish. And that made him cranky. It seemed to take a long time, but finally, he saw her walking back on the path towards her hut, the children having gone or moved on to other chores. InuYasha waited until she stepped onto the path that moved near the forest before he fell in beside her again. He had a strange, tight feeling in his stomach, as if he were stalking her or something. And he supposed in a strange way, he was.  
Shisuta looked at him, and he saw that uneasy look pass over her face again. He spoke quickly, wanting to try and put her at ease, "Hey, you want me to carry that for you or something?"  
"No, thank you, I'm good."  
"You sure? I don't mind, Izumi, I can-"  
Her face darkened in anger, "I'm fine, and my name is Shisuta. Stop calling me Izumi. If I was Izumi once, I'm no longer."  
Dismayed, InuYasha forged on ahead, "Did Sesshomaru upset you when he tried...uh..." his tongue suddenly stumbled.  
Shisuta - Izumi - turned a bright pink, and she looked cross, "Where did you hear that?"  
"I...uh...one of the kids..."  
She made a noise of anger, and started walking again, "Do not speak of that again, please."  
InuYasha stumbled along behind her, looking up at her. He had forgotten just how tall the woman was, "Look, if he's still scaring you or something, I can tell him to leave you alone."  
She turned, angry, "You? You could hardly fight him the other day. He would likely have killed you if I hadn't spoken."  
"Why did you?" he suddenly asked, latching onto that fact, "Why did it matter to you?"  
She shook her head, confused and angry, "It doesn't matter. I didn't want to see blood. Just leave me alone."  
"I need to talk to you! It's important!"  
"I don't have anything to say to you!" Shisuta turned back to him again, her eyes flashing in anger, "Leave me alone! Get away from me!"  
"Izumi you have to remember! Mikado! Amaterasu! You wore her symbol, Izumi! You're the First Handmaiden! Can't you remember _any_ of this?"  
The tall woman threw down her bucket of clams, furious. The water splashed over his feet, clams clattered over the sand. Her face was red with anger, hands in fists.  
"I don't remember any of what you're talking about! I'm happy here! Leave me alone! I want you to go away!"  
"Damnit I _can't_! We need you, Izumi! You _have_ to remember!"  
The sun shone through the trees, casting a dappled pattern on the woman and the hanyou, sun and shadow. The birds had stopped calling and had fled.  
"I _don't_ have to remember! I don't have to remember _anything_! I'm happy here! I'm happy with Teruko and the villagers and Yuji!"  
InuYasha took a step towards her, "Don't you even remember my mother, Izumi? Izayoi? Or my old man? You were close to them! You _loved_ them! Did you forget them too!?"  
Angry, Shisuta turned, starting to stride back towards the village, "I've had enough. Leave me alone."  
Cursing under his breath, InuYasha darted forward, and grabbed her arm, turning her around to face him, "Look at me!"  
"Let go of me!" She shrieked, shocked. She pulled, trying to pull free.  
"Look at me, Izumi! He looked like me, didn't he? My father? Like Sesshomaru?! You said I looked like my mother, too! You said you could see her in my face! Look at me and remember them!"  
Shisuta lunged towards him, and slapped him across the face, hard, "Get your hands off me!"  
He didn't let go. His face stung, then went coolly numb.  
They wrestled on the sandy path, the tall woman trying desperately to pull back, to pull away, the hanyou holding onto her as firmly as he dared without hurting her. It was like some strange, ungainly dance, a dance the woman lost, tripping over her own feet and falling backwards onto her bottom.  
In the background, InuYasha heard voices calling in the village. They had heard someone crying, and would likely come looking soon.  
He knelt before her, grabbing both her wrists, staring into her face, "Look at me!"  
"Leave me alone!" she cried again, eyes squeezed shut. Her face was pale, and she shook her head violently, battering at him as best she was able.  
_She remembers. It's there. But she's fighting it. She doesn't __**want**__ to remember, but she is._  
But the villagers were going to be coming. And they would fight him. He didn't want to fight any of them, they weren't the enemy, they weren't bad. Ignorant, yes, but not bad. And if they came, his work now would be lost.  
He had to strike, and strike _hard_.  
_I'm sorry, Izumi. I really am._  
InuYasha dropped her wrists, and grabbed her by the shoulders, hard.  
"We need you, Izumi! You have to come back! We need..."  
He clenched his jaw, then spoke loudly.  
"I need you, Oba!"  
She gasped, looking up, eyes wide, night black eyes staring into golden ones. She froze, still, like a statue.  
"I need you, Oba," InuYasha repeated, his stomach twisting at what he was saying, what he might be doing to her, "Oba Izumi. Please. I need you."  
Staring at him, eyes wide, she stopped struggling. Her hands drew back, to her face, covering her mouth, her nose, her eyes huge.  
Weakly, sickly, InuYasha let go of her shoulders, leaning back.  
"Iz...Izumi?"  
She lowered her face into her hands with a soft cry.  
He knelt there, not knowing what to do. She acted as if he had punched her, hunched over, face in her hands.  
Suddenly, she gave a sharp cry, as if she had been stabbed, a shocked sob, her body literally jerking.  
"_Izumi!?"_ he touched her shoulder, unsure.  
She showed no sign of having felt it. The tall woman merely folded over, almost folding in on herself, shuddering, occasioanlly letting out a hoarse cry. InuYasha realized she was coming back, yes...but she was reliving everything she had forgotten.  
She was reliving the loss, all over again.  
Each memory struck her mind and her body like a physical blow, until she was a shivering, shuddering, spend figure, folded in like a hurt child. She wept, and rocked.  
InuYasha swallowed the lump in his throat, cursing himself, cursing Amaterasu, cursing everything. Izumi rocked, her face in her hands, weeping.  
"I'm _sorry_," he said, his voice hoarse, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to do. I...I didn't..."  
Her shocked sobs tapered off, and slowly she straightened, lowering her hands from her pale face. Tears in her eyes reflected back the sunlight, and her eyes were wounded, like a survivor of some terrible war.  
"Izumi?" he said, weakly, "Are...are you..ok? Are you..."  
"I..." her voice was hoarse and wounded as well, her hurts deep, deep. Tears spilled from her eyes down over her cheeks.  
She took a deep breath, and spoke quietly.  
"I think so, dear. I think so."  
_Izumi._  
She took a shuddering breath, and tried to smile, but it failed. She reached out to his face, and lightly touched his cheek, "That was...very smart of you, dear heart. That..."  
Her face suddenly crumpled, and InuYasha found himself yanked forward, and embraced tightly. Izumi clung to him like a drowning woman, shivering and trembling, one hand clutching his haori at the back, the other with a handful of his hair.  
InuYasha was hit with emotions he hadn't been expecting. He felt foolish and embarassed...he had never been held by Izumi before, and even though she felt towards her like an Aunt, he still wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He also felt sorry, miserable he had hurt her, with what he felt was a low blow. More than once, Izumi had said she would have raised him from childhood, almost as if he were her own, certainly raise him as an Aunt. His own mother had told Izumi she would be an Aunt to him.  
And he felt a strange, unfamiliar sensation of returning. Of having her back. As if he had, in some weird, strange way, come home.  
Clumsily, he patted her back with one hand, this other arm lightly wrapped around her. He felt awkward and unbalanced.  
After a few minutes, Izumi's clutch loosened, and she lowered her arms, brushing her face, wiping her eyes.  
"Are...you ok?"  
"Yes, dear," Izumi sniffled, trying to get herself under control as well, "I will be. In time."  
"I..." a new voice spoke, and both Izumi and InuYasha turned to see Kagome standing there, on the path.  
"I heard shouting...I..uh.."  
"Kagome, dear," Izumi smiled weakly, "It's good to see you again."  
Kagome's face lit up, "_Izumi!"_

They crowded inside the small hut owned by Teruko, sitting around the small cooking fire, drinking tea. It was quiet. InuYasha had helped Izumi walk back to the hut, trying to help her however he could. It wasn't easy, for Izumi was taller than he was, but she leaned on him as she walked. As they approached the village, Miroku and Sango came running, and the monk slipped under Izumi's arm on her other side. The two men helped her towards the hut.  
Some of the villagers came running, the man InuYasha had seen with Izumi earlier in the front, his face pale and worried, "Shisuta!?"  
Izumi smiled weakly, "I am well, Yuji. They are friends, they won't harm me."  
The tall man paused, looking at her, uneasy, "Are...are you certain, Shisuta?"  
She nodded, "I am."  
Not saying anything else, she let InuYasha and Miroku lead her to the hut.  
Izumi drained her teacup, setting it down on the floor beside her. She took a deep breath, and let it out in a long sigh.  
"Well..." she started, and then stopped. Izumi blinked, then turned her attention to the fire. InuYasha spoke, "Izumi?"  
The woman raised her hands, and tiredly rubbed her face, "I have no idea what to do."  
There was a loud silence, broken only by Kerara's unique little mew.  
"I have no powers. None. I cannot feel Mother Amaterasu. I cannot sense anything about the people around me. I have no _link_ to anything. Nothing. I'm...hollow."  
InuYasha's group exchanged glances, not sure what to say, what to do.  
Kagome spoke, "Do you want us to call Mikado for you?"  
Izumi sighed, "You might as well. I'm sure she's kept abreast of everything that's been going on. I should..." she fell silent.  
"Izumi?" Sango asked.  
Izumi shook her head, "Nothing. Please. Call Mikado."  
It was only a few moments before the shorter woman came bursting into the tiny hut, almost tripping over those seated on the ground. Her eyes were riveted on the taller woman, _"Izumi!?"_  
Izumi smiled weakly, "Mikado, dear."  
_"IZUMI!"_ Mikado's cry was joyous, and she literally lunged at the other woman, throwing herself at her, hugging her so tightly the older woman was bowled over backwards. Kagome was instatnly reminded of little Sokai, and her enthusiastic greetings she gave InuYasha.  
The two women sat up, laughing, Mikado wiping her eyes, hugging the other woman tightly.  
"Don't you ever leave me like that again!" Mikado scolded her, "Do you have _any_ idea what you've done? The Heavens are all crazy! Everyone is freaking out! Kagura's beside herself with grief, Aratok's dissapeared. Half the Senmin are ready to take up arms, the other half want to leave and go to another plane of existance! Two of the Gods aren't talking to the others. The Gods of War want to exact revenge on your behalf, and are angry Amaterasu won't let them! Everything's nuts!"  
"All because of one Senmin?" Miroku asked, astonished.  
Mikado looked at the monk, "I keep telling you. Izumi's not just _a_ Senmin, she's _the_ Senmin. The _first_. The _Eldest_. She has absolute authority over every other Senmin out there, except in times when the Gods are fighting each other. Some of the other Senmin don't like her that much, but they all obey her."  
Izumi smiled fondly at her younger charge, then grew serious, "Well, tell Kagura I'm...well. I'm worried about Aratok. He's rather...flighty, no pun intended. Tell the other Senmin they are _not_ to take up arms. That's just utter lunacy. We're about to head into war and they want to start smaller battles? The very idea!"  
Mikado smiled teary-eyed at Izumi, "Oh Izumi. I've missed you so much."  
Izumi patted Mikado's hand, then spoke again, "As for the other Gods, only Mother Amaterasu can deal with them, but please let everyone know I'm here now. Although...what I can do now, I don't know."  
"What do you mean? Izumi, come back, let them all see that you-"  
"I can't."  
"Izumi, you just have to-"  
"Mikado, dear, I _can't_. I'm...I'm a human again. I can no longer walk in the Celestial Plane."  
The Senmin fell silent, shocked.  
"But...but..."  
Izumi shook her head, her long ponytail, tied in it's small leather ties for neatness, flopped back and forth, "I cannot, Mikado."  
"How are you going to lead in this war, Izumi? Surely Mother Amaterasu can return your powers to you."  
Grief crossed the woman's face, and she looked away, "I...cannot talk to her, Mikado. Our link is gone."  
Mikado blinked, utterly shocked, "What?"  
Izumi looked back, and her eyes looked haunted, "I cannot hear her, or talk to her. Our link is broken. I am just a human, now."  
Mikado sat back on her heels, "Well...well...what are we going to _do_?"  
"I have no idea."  
"We have to get you back," Mikado said, "Back to Mother Amaterasu. Have you tried talking to her? Have you tried-"  
"I've tried everything, Mikado. There is no link."  
"Well try harder! Maybe you just-"  
"Leave her alone," InuYasha spoke harshly, startling everyone. The hanyou leaned forward, "She just got her memories back, damnit! Let her rest!"  
Mikado flushed, "Don't you tell me what-"  
"_Look_ at her, she's _tired_! Leave her alone!"  
"InuYasha, dear. Mikado. Please." Izumi paused, rubbing her face again, and then spoke, "He's right, Mikado. Please. Let me rest for a few days. There are things I need to tend to, here. You must trust me when I say I cannot sense Amaterasu at all. And I have tried. We will need to sit down and work this all out, but for now, I...must rest."  
Mikado leaned back, worried. She nodded, speaking quietly, "I'm sorry, Izumi, you're right. I just...I'm no good at any of this, you know that."  
Izumi smiled tiredly, "Nonsense. The world hasn't exploded since I was gone, you've obviously done a wonderful job under the circumstances. For now...the best place for you to be is back on the Celestial Plane. Let everyone know I am, in fact, alive. But tired. Everything is still to proceed as it always was." She smoothed out her pants legs, "In my absence, they are to listen to you as they would me."  
Mikado blinked.  
"I am serious, Mikado. You are the second Handmaiden to Amaterasu. In my absence, you are to take my place. They must listen to you. Enforce that, if you must."  
"I..."  
Izumi spoke gently, "I've been training you to take my place, Mikado. You know that."  
Mikado sighed deeply, suddenly looking like a frightened child, "I...I know."  
She nodded, and rose, "Alright. I'll go back, and whip some sense back into everyone."  
Izumi smiled at her, "I know you can do it, dear."  
Mikado stood up, and left.  
Izumi took a deep sigh, leaning back against the wall of the tiny room.  
"Are you tired, lady Izumi?" Miroku said, "Perhaps you should sleep?"  
Izumi smiled wryly at the monk, "I feel like I've been doing nothing but sleeping for the last while, dear. I should probably try to stay away for a while."  
There was a light knocking sound just outside, someone lightly knocking on the doorframe. Miroku stood up, and pushed back the door covering. A young woman stood there, looking nervous.  
"Can I help you?" Miroku asked kindly.  
"You...you're the monk. Can I...please. I need your services..."  
"Ah..yes, of course," Miroku said. The villagers seemed to have accepted InuYasha - abeit grudgingly, so he couldn't really refuse them, "What is the matter?"  
"My sister. She's having bad dreams. We're worried there's a demon coming to her in her sleep."  
"I see. Yes, I'll come." He glanced over his shoulder, "Sango? Would you come as well? You and Kerara are better than I am at sensing a demon's presence."  
Sango laughed prettily, but stood up, "I doubt that, but we'll come and help, certainly."  
She looked at the others gathered in the small hut, "Do you want anything? Do we need water, or...?"  
"Teruko might need water," Izumi said gently, "We've used a lot of hers for the tea."  
"I'll bring some back, then," the demon-slayer said, and followed Miroku out.  
Izumi leaned back again, closing her eyes.  
"Are you sure you're ok?" InuYasha asked, looking at the older woman.  
Izumi opened her eyes, and smiled, "Well...considering yesterday I couldn't remember who I was, I think I'm doing wonderfully, don't you?"  
Kagome softly laughed.  
"Do you...remember yesterday? I mean, now that your memories are back, do you...remembering being here, and everything?"  
"Oh yes. It's all here." she tapped her forhead, smiling, "I remember everything now."  
InuYasha reached out, taking up the small kettle and putting it back on to boil. Keeping his eyes on the flames, he spoke again.  
"You remember everything?"  
Kagome frowned at him, at the strange tone he was using.  
Izumi noticed as well, and nodded, though he couldn't see her. She spoke, "Yes, I do."  
InuYasha didn't move, kept his eyes on the fire, but when he spoke again, Kagome was a little startled to hear his tone was a little angry.  
"Then you want to tell me what the hell happened out on that island?"  
Kagome blinked, and looked at Izumi, eyes wide. Izumi regarded the hanyou quietly, and met Kagome's eyes. She saw the fear in the young woman's eyes, and she gave Kagome the tiniest of nods, as if to say, "Yes, I understand."  
"I made a mistake, dear," was all she said.  
InuYasha looked up, startled. He scowled, leaning back, sitting back on his feet, "A mistake."  
"Yes."  
"You expect me to believe that you make a _mistake_."  
Izumi nodded.  
"Give me a break!" InuYasha suddenly exploded, leaning forward, "You don't make mistakes! You're a Senmin. They don't make mistakes! What happened, Izumi? Did I do it? Did I make that portal too damn strong, and it killed you, is that what happened? Tell me!"  
Izumi's voice was wonderfully calm, and soothing, "No dear. I mean no offense, but you could not make that portal strong enough to kill me. The Windscar would not work on me, nor would the SolarFlare. Even backed up with the Backlash Wave, it was not strong enough to kill me."  
"Then _what_!? You sent me back from that island! And that flaming mountain! That..._meteor_ thing! What the hell was that? Who sent that? Was it Keimetsu? Did _he_ kill you!?"  
Izumi took a deep breath, steadying herself, and spoke, "No. I did that myself."  
There was a shocked silence. The hanyou stared at her with wide, gold eyes.  
"You..._you_ did that?"  
"Yes."  
_"Why!?"_  
"Beause I had to seal that portal, InuYasha. It was growing, and quickly. I only knew of one way to seal it."  
"_By dropping a freaking mountain down on top of yourself!?"_  
"I'm afraid so, yes."  
He just stared at her, as if she were insane.  
"Izumi, _what the hell!?"_  
"InuYasha," Kagome said quietly, "Maybe we should let her rest-"  
"No! I want answers! I don't care what she says, it was me! I did something, and it caused to die! Damnit, Izumi, tell me!"  
Izumi leaned over, and reached around the fire. Startling both InuYasha and Kagome, the older woman reached out and gently laid her hand under InuYasha's chin, lifting his face.  
"You did not kill me, InuYasha." her voice was very soft, very gentle, like a mother's, "What happened to me was because of a choice I made. You must believe me. You must not carry grief and doubt and fear over what happened in your heart. I had to make a choice, and I did, gladly."  
InuYasha's face flushed, but he looked at her intently, searching her eyes, a lost look on his face at her words.  
Izumi spoke again, softly, "Do not carry this in your heart, dear one. I made a choice, which I would make again and again if need be. But you did not kill me. No."  
InuYasha studied her, then pulled back a little, looking away, self-conscious. He said nothing, and Kagome lightly took his hand, knowing her words had struck home. He had been carrying her death in his heart, sure he had done something to cause her to die.  
Kagome knew that in fact, he _had_. His actions _had_ caused her death. But he must never know that.  
Ever.  
"Now then," Izumi said, leaning back against the wall again, "What happened to me was...uncomfortable, and I would rather not speak of it again."  
"Yeah. Alright. Ok."  
"So...what have I missed while I was gone?"  
Kagome and InuYasha glanced at each other, trying to think of what they needed to let Izumi know about. InuYasha spoke first.  
"Xether is dead. Kagome killed her. And I killed Neith."  
Izumi blinked, looking from one to the other.  
"Goodness. You work quickly," she smiled.  
Kagome smiled, suddenly realizing that she had missed the older woman too.  
"You killed her, Kagome?"  
"Yes. With the Shikon."  
Izumi blinked again, then nodded, "I see. Well done. I trust DarkWind has given you much training, then. Good."  
"Yeah, and he's gone," InuYasha was quick to interject.  
Izumi blinked, looking at Kagome, a sorrowed look on her face, "Oh Kagome, dear. I'm so sorry. I knew DarkWind would have to leave once your training was complete."  
"No, you don't understand," Kagome smiled, "He's not _gone_ gone. He's with Tristar. I freed him, Izumi! I gave him his freedom!"  
Izumi blinked again, surprised, "You...oh. My goodness. You _have_ been busy, Kagome. You freed him."  
Kagome beamed, joyfully, "Yes! So he's not gone! He'll be so glad to know you're alive too, Izumi! He can visit, and we can visit him too!"  
InuYasha said nothing, just poked at the fire a little harshly, a grumpy look on his face. He didn't think he would _ever_ come to like the other man. Kagome had been too close to him, had cared for him. She had _kissed_ him...  
Sometimes when he was just on the verge of sleep, that image would jump into his head like an attacker, and he'd wake up with a nasty start, looking around the sleeping area to make sure he was gone, that he wasn't lying by Kagome's side. That Kagome was his.  
"Good. I'm glad. DarkWind was a kind person, and full of joy. If anyone was going to free him, Kagome, I am not surprised it is you."  
Kagome smiled.  
"Anyway," InuYasha said, changing the subject, "Phobia is gone too. I killed her. That leaves Jemu. Unless Keimetsu has more Shadelings hidden somewhere?"  
Izumi shook her head, "Not that I am aware of, InuYasha. But that does not mean he doesn't. Or that he doesn't have other people on his side."  
InuYasha snorted.  
The door covered was pushed back, and Teruko stuck her head in. She looked around, and spoke, "Shisuta, are you ok? Do you mind if I stay at Kinjo's tonight?"  
Izumi looked up at the old woman, not correcting her, "Is anything wrong?"  
"No, but I think your friends should stay here tonight. I'll stay at Kinjo's to give you all room."  
"Oh," Kagome said, "No, we can't possibly expect you to move."  
"Nonsense," the old woman laughed, "I'm just glad her friends came for her! I knew she would be missed!"  
Teruko left, the door covering falling back into place.  
"Well," InuYasha said, standing up, "I'd better go get our stuff, then."  
"Do you want some help?" Kagome asked, starting to rise.  
"No, you stay here, ok? In case Izumi needs something. I can carry everyone's packs easily enough."  
"All right."  
The hanyou left, and Kagome put another chunk of wood on the fire.  
After a minute, Izumi spoke gently.  
"So...am I mistaken, dear, in noticing that you and InuYasha seem a little...more relaxed around each other? Now that DarkWind is gone, perhaps?"  
Kagome blinked at Izumi, and then smiled, blushing a little, "We...we're...together again, Izumi."  
The older woman smiled brightly, "Wonderful! Can I ask how it happened?"  
"Well, I...I knew I still loved him. But I didn't want to let him know because I was sure he'd just go back to Kikyo again. Only..."  
Kagome looked closely at Izumi, her eyes wide, her voice hushed, "He went out one night, Izumi, and Sango followed him. And he met Kikyo. And he told her he was with me now. That his place was with me."  
Izumi silently nodded.  
Kagome shook her head, as if unable to explain to Izumi the importance of what she was saying, "He chose _me_, Izumi. Over _Kikyo. Me._"  
Izumi smiled, "You should not be so surprised, Kagome."  
Kagome sat back, and lightly ran a hand over her face, trying to gain a little control. After a moment, she spoke, "She's alive again, Izumi."  
Izumi frowned, "Who is?"  
"Kikyo."  
Izumi blinked, and leaned forward slightly, "What do you mean, dear, 'alive'?"  
"Alive. Like...not undead. Warm, breathing, heart beating, the works."  
Izumi looked shocked, "Are...are you sure, dear?"  
"InuYasha is. Kikyo told him, and he felt it."  
"Who brought her back!?" Izumi was shocked.  
"She...she didn't say."  
Izumi leaned back, staring wide-eyed at the fire.  
"That's...unexpected," the woman said, after a while.  
Kagome took a breath, and then spoke gently, "Izumi?"  
"Yes, dear?"  
"How...do you remember...how you came back to life?"  
Izumi looked at Kagome, then back to the fire, "I...no. But some memories...I seem to remember..." she peered at the flames, "I see a long road. Dirty. Dusty. And I was afraid, and...Sesshomaru, of all people, was there..."  
"Sesshomaru?"  
"Yes."  
Silence. Only the crackle of the fire. Outside the hut, the sun had set, the sky a brilliant mix of purples and pinks.  
"He's been hanging around because of you, hasn't he?" Kagome said softly.  
Izumi blinked at Kagome, "What?"  
"It's because of you. It's why he's here. Did he do something to upset you? You seemed uneasy around him, before."  
Izumi said nothing, just looked back at the fire, but Kagome suddenly noticed the other woman had a faint blush to her face.  
"He likes you, doesn't he?" Kagome plunged on ahead.  
Izumi looked up at Kagome, eyes wide, "What?!"  
"Sesshomaru. I've noticed it right from the start, Izumi. He seems to listen to you. I've noticed a few times that he's gone to fight someone, even InuYasha, and you say something to him or touch his hand and he stops, he backs down. I saw it at Sokai's birthday. Sesshomaru was going to fight Kouga because he scared Rin, his hand was on his sword but you turned to him and put your hands on his and asked him not to and he let go of his sword, I know what I saw!" Kagome stopped, taking a deep breath after that lengthy burst.  
Izumi stared at Kagome like she had five heads.  
"Sango's noticed it too, and so has Miroku," Kagome said, a little lamely, wilting a small bit under Izumi's stare.  
"I...Kagome, dear, I...Sesshomaru and I are merely...friends."  
"He doesn't _have_ any friends!" Kagome shook her head, "It's more."  
"No, just friends. I knew his father so well, you see. That brought us together. And it is merely my title of Handmaiden that keeps the Lord Sesshomaru from walking away. He's interested in what's going to happen, you see. He has a part to play in all this as well, as The Neutral One."  
"But it must be more than that," Kagome said, "Ever since he met you Sesshomaru actually shows _emotions_ on his face! I admit, not a lot, and he seems to try and hide them whenever he can, but I know what I've seen. And that's not like him at _all_."  
"Kagome-"  
"Really, Izumi! I know what-"  
"Kagome, _you_ are the reason for those emotions."  
The words died in her mouth, and she just stared at Izumi, eyes wide.  
"What!?"  
Izumi half smiled at the young woman's expression, and spoke, "Lord Sesshomaru gained a faint amount of human emotion from you."  
"From..._what_!? No! HOW!?"  
"Do you remember, dear, when both you and Sesshomaru were accidentally taken to that strange world where humans were rare, and demons lived everywhere? There was a large creature there that drained a demon's powers from him upon contact. And it happened to Lord Sesshomaru, remember?"  
"Yeees..." Kagome nodded, not liking where the conversation was going, "He was turned into a human. And he wasn't very pleased, as I remember."  
"And you had to fight that monster. In that cave, all the demon's powers were put in the form of a flower."  
"That's right. Sesshomaru's was like a Siberian Iris."  
"And when you picked it up, to return it to him..."  
Kagome frowned, trying to remember. She suddenly blinked.  
"It had thorns! I remember thinking leave it to Sesshomaru to have thorns."  
"You cut yourself, dear. And bled. And a small bit of your blood was absorbed into the flower. Into Sesshomaru's powers. And when he took the flower, and reabsorbed his powers..."  
Kagome stared, wide-eyed.  
Izumi finished, "He took on a small bit of a human's emotion."  
Kagome stared.  
"Just a small bit, dear." Izumi tried to reassure her.  
Kagome stared.  
"Really, Kagome. You don't need to be alarmed-"  
"_Does he know? Is he going to try and kill me? I didn't know! I really didn't know!"_  
"It's ok, dear."  
"_OK!? How can it be ok!? If he finds out he'll kill me! He'll melt me like he tried the first time we met!"_  
Izumi chuckled, "He won't, no. Because he will never know. Even if you walked straight up to him, dear, and told him to his face, he would never believe you. Ever. So you do not have to worry."  
Kagome rubbed her face, her hands trembling.  
Izumi smiled, "Trust me."  
Kagome took a deep breath, and calmed herself. After a moment, she looked at Izumi, and said softly, "It doesn't matter, Izumi. You say that's what caused it...and maybe it is. But he can still be so cold, so expressionless. But it's _you_ he shows the emotion over. It's _you_ that he listens to, as much as he listens to anyone. And it's _you_ that causes him to lose control of his emotions."  
Izumi blinked, and looked away, uneasy. Kagome saw the look on the woman's face, and knew Izumi was thinking about something, maybe more than one something, and it was giving her a lot of thought.  
At that moment, the door opened, and InuYasha walked in, his arms full of blankets and backpacks.  
His eyes were troubled, and he looked from one woman to the other, "Are...did I hear yelling?"  
"Of course not, dear," Izumi said easily, "Maybe someone in the village. Here, put those down over there...it's going to be a bit cramped in here, I think, but you should all be comfortable."


	6. Memories

The sun set, and the night was warm. The stars came out, but in the distance, thunder still rolled. There was a low cloudbank far on the horizon, and it seemed to be moving towards the village. It was moving fast as the wind whipped up.  
InuYasha and the others had eaten, and were resting up. Izumi stood up, and moved towards the door.  
"Where are you going?" InuYasha quickly asked.  
Izumi blinked at him.  
The hanyou blushed, and crossed his arms defensively, "I...just thought if you're tired you should be resting, that's all."  
Izumi smiled softly at him, "I just want to stretch my legs, dear."  
"Do you want me to come with you?"  
Izumi shook her head, "Thank you, but no. I just need some fresh air."  
"Well...stay in the village, alright?"  
Izumi smiled, "Yes InuYasha, I will."  
She pushed aside the door covering, and slipped outside.  
InuYasha glanced over at Kagome, and blinked to see her covering her mouth with a hand, trying to hide her grin.  
"What are _you_ laughing at?"  
"Nuh-nothing."  
"Kagome!"  
Miroku spoke, his cheerful voice rich with amusement, "Perhaps you should tell Izumi to put on a wrap, it might be cold outside."  
"Hey!"  
Sango burst out giggling.  
InuYasha turned redder, and hunched down slightly, arms crossed, "She's a _human_ remember? She made a lot of enemies and now she's just a _human_. It might be dangerous if she goes wandering around out there alone!"  
Kagome took his hand and patted it, "It's very sweet that you're concerned about her, InuYasha. Don't mind us teasing you."  
He muttered darkly.

Izumi walked a ways, keeping the small village in sight. Despite what she had said, she was still tired, and didn't want to go too far. She moved away from the huts, down along the beach a little ways. There was an enormous boulder on the beach, mostly buried under the sand, so only a small portion protruded, smoothed by centuries of sand and wind.  
Izumi walked over, and sat, lowering herself to the stone. She had untied her hair from the numerous straps, but it was still back, now in a long braid Sango had done up for her. It fell down her back to her hips. It felt a little strange to her to have it back, but knew that now that she was no longer a Senmin, there was no way to keep it clean and tidy.  
Izumi smiled to herself as she looked up at the stars. Many people thought she was beautiful and graceful and nearly perfect, but those things were mostly the effects of being Senmin. Her clothing never got dirty, her hair hardly ever became mussed or dirty or in the way because of grace given her by her Goddess. As a human again, well...  
She had already found that left loose it was always in the way. She sat on it, or it tangled as she moved, or...and she was no longer really graceful either. She had almost tripped over the doorframe when she first entered.  
Shaking her head, Izumi softly chuckled, amused at herself. It was easy to be near perfect when you had a Goddess's power and grace keeping an eye on you.  
_Ah well._  
Thunder rumbled, and she turned, looking out towards the horizon. The wind was growing stronger still, and the thunderheads were closer now.  
_That's going to be another bad storm._ she thought to herself.  
Izumi sighed softly, and stood, turning to start heading back towards the small huts, when she nearly came face to face with the demon lord.  
Izumi blinked, and made a soft sound of surprise, moving back a step. She laughed, coloring slightly, a hand on her heart.  
"Goodness, you frightened me, Lord Sesshomaru! How long have you been there?"  
Sesshomaru studied her in silence, his golden eyes almost luminous in the darkness. It was a moment before he spoke.  
"So. You have returned, Lady Izumi."  
Izumi lowered her hands, smiling gently, "Yes, I have. And I apologise for any rudeness I may have shown you earlier. I hope you will not hold it against me."  
The demon lord watched her silently. He had seen InuYasha approach her on the path earlier that day, and had seen them fight. He had watched, silent, curious, as to just what the fool thought he was doing, when he saw her trip and fall. Saw InuYasha kneel before her, saw them talking.  
Izumi had put her face in her hands, and had seemed as if she were being attacked. A short while later, she had lifted her head, and had pulled the hanyou to her, hugging him.  
After that, it seemed Izumi had returned, and Shisuta had vanished.  
Now, looking at her as she stood before him, he found himself wondering why InuYasha had been able to bring her back so easily. She had remembered nothing about him.  
Her voice came to him, as she spoke to him in the Lands of the Dead. She had not remembered his name, but his _face_...  
_"You heard me when I called. In the darkness. You were the light in the darkness. Your face was in my thoughts. I remembered your face._"  
He remembered how she had looked at him as she huddled on the ground, watching him. The joy that had come to her face as she looked at him. Joy that he was there.  
Remembered the water-woman that had appeared to him that night. Izumi, as a form in the water. Reaching for him.  
Calling to him.  
"Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked again, and he came back to the present.  
"You are human," he said, by way of answer, "and no longer Senmin."  
Izumi sighed, and nodded, "Yes. I don't know what to do, now. I have to find some way to re-connect with Amaterasu, but...I honestly have no idea how."  
"And how much," he asked, "Do you remember?"  
"Remember?" Izumi looked at him. She suddenly remembered him on the beach, walking towards her until she was up against the ruined pillar, leaning down to her, his eyes so very luminous in the darkness, almost predatory and yet with a look in them she had never seen before. Remembered him leaning down to her, feeling his breath on her face...remembered Jakken bursting from the beach grass.  
Izumi was thankful for the darkness, as she was sure he couldn't see the flushing of her face and neck, "Some things I remember, others I do not. Why?"  
He studied her, then spoke, "Do you remember the Lands of the Dead. Or how you came here?"  
Izumi looked at the approaching stormclouds in silence. She seemed to be struggling with something inside herself.  
Sesshomaru suddenly found himself wanting to step forward, grab her by the shoulders and shake her, demanding to know how much she remembered.  
For the umpteenth time since he met her, he wondered how this woman had managed to get under his skin so easily.  
She looked back at him and spoke, "I remember waking up in the Lands of the Dead. Yes. Being lost. Frightened. I could not remember who I had been, before. But I knew I didn't belong there. And I...I remember that you came and saved me, Lord Sesshomaru. And for that I thank you."  
Images came to her again, of the giant dog-like beast that had threatened to kill her, to dig her out of her small shelter. Remembered the loud, piercing howl that had echoed across the rocky lands as a newcomer came, challenging the one who lived there. Remembered crawling out of her shelter to see the monsterous creature battling with a giant silvery canine with red eyes and a lavender crescent upon its head, the two creatures locked in a deadly struggle. A struggle the threatening monster lost to the powerful canine-demon.  
"I remember waking up in the water, after that," Izumi said quietly, "Deep in the water. I don't know how I ended up out there, but-"  
"That is where I put you," Sesshomaru said, speaking simply, as if speaking of moving a rock.  
Izumi stopped, blinking. She looked at him, "Where you put me? I don't understand."  
Sesshomaru looked at her, then turned, looking out over the water, at the approaching stormclouds. He seemed as if he were uninterested in what he was talking about.  
"When I found you dead upon that island, I took you to where you wished to be. You told me once you wished to be laid to rest where your ancestors were, in the deeps. I took you there. I suppose when you returned to this world, your soul sought out your body. Unfortunately it was on the bottom of the sea, just outside the harbour. You are lucky it wasn't deeper, or you would not have made it to the surface."  
Izumi stared at him, stunned silent, and when he looked at her, he was actually startled to see there were tears in her eyes.  
"You found me, and took me..."  
Uncomfortable, and feeling somewhat cranky he _was_ uncomfortable, he looked back out to the water, "Is that not what you wished?"  
"Yes it...it was," she said, her voice a little shaky. From the corner of his eye he saw her raise a hand and wipe her eyes, "Thank you. I did not expect that you would go to the trouble of doing that for me. I...am touched you did that, Lord Sesshomaru. Thank you."  
He turned, looking at her again.  
She looked different to him, somehow. She was still tall, a very tall woman, the top of her head coming to the tips of his ears. She was still slender, still willowy. Her eyes were still black as night, as was her hair, though it no longer hung loosely about her. And yet she seemed different.  
Was it because she no longer wore the flowing robes of her station? She wore simple men's clothing now, possibly the only thing tall enough to fit her properly. Was it because her hair was back? Would a simple hairstyle change make a difference like that?  
_I cannot sense her powers anymore,_ he realized, _She no longer has power. She is a simple human now._  
He gave an indifferent shrug, and looked back to the approaching storm.  
"How is Rin?" she asked, "Is she well?"  
Sesshomaru sounded bored, "She is, though she was not at first. She mourned you."  
"Oh. Oh dear. I should go see her, make sure she is ok."  
"I have informed her you live. She is well. But...she would enjoy a visit from you, I believe. She is very fond of you."  
"As I am of her," Izumi smiled.  
A breeze came up, gently tugging his hair, his clothing. Izumi shivered slightly, even though the wind was warm, and she wrapped her arms around herself, "I should head back. I'm still very tired."  
"As you wish," he said simply, and she turned, heading back towards the huts.  
Sesshomaru remained where he was for a while, then turned, moving back towards the forest.  
There was a strange sense of relief inside him. Izumi had no powers. There was no longer that powerful aura about her. She was now no more than a human. She seemed weak and even a small bit foolish in men's clothing, shivering when it was not cold. Being tired over...what? Regaining her memories?  
Weakness.  
Weak _human-ness_.  
Now that she was merely a human, Sesshomaru was sure he would finally be able to break free of whatever odd spell she must have cast over him. He must have been bewitched by her powers, that was the only thing that truly made sense, and now that those powers were gone, he would be able to walk away and leave all this foolishness behind.  
Finally.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

Izumi walked back to where the huts were gathered, and sat upon an over turned boat. It was late now, and dark. The clouds had moved in closer, almost overhead. They thundered and rumbled angrilly, lightning flickering in their midst. The stars were slowly devoured as it moved. Izumi pulled her legs up onto the overturned boat, looking up.  
It was going to be a bad storm, when it broke.  
She closed her eyes, casting out, trying to reach outward. To find the presence she had always felt, for so long. Centuries. Amaterasu had always been there.  
Now there was only silence.  
"Hey."  
Izumi opened her eyes, and turned, looking over her shoulder to see InuYasha walking towards her, hands up the opposite sleeve, watching her.  
"InuYasha."  
"It's late. I started wondering where you were."  
Izumi smiled, "Just walking, dear. Clearing my head of things, trying to put others in order. Are your friends set up for the night?"  
"Yeah. It's cramped, but we're ok. We've slept in tighter places before."  
Izumi patted the place on the overturned boat next to her, sliding over a little. The hanyou blinked, and looked a little unsure. Awkward. He pushed it aside, though, and sat beside her.  
"And what of _you_, dear? How have you been?"  
InuYasha shrugged.  
"I see it's still like pulling teeth," the older woman remarked lightly, teasingly.  
InuYasha blinked at her, looking away quickly. He gazed at his feet, trying to find something to talk about. Izumi smiled at him. He was obviously trying very hard.  
"I hear you and Kagome are together again," Izumi said softly.  
InuYasha blinked, blushing. He nodded, eyes still on his feet, "Uh. Yeah. We are."  
Izumi tipped her head, watching him, "Well, that's a good thing."  
He glanced at her, still blushing, but smiled, actually shy.  
"Surely there are some other things that have happened since I was away. You must have news for me."  
InuYasha shrugged again, then hesitated.  
"There's someone in Kagome's time that knows about me. Told me to leave, not to come back."  
Izumi blinked, the smile leaving her face. She leaned forward, "What?"  
He looked at her, feeling awkward talking to her, although a part of him _wanted_ to. He was a little dismayed at just how much he apparently missed her. Her voice. Her calming influence.  
_Oba Izumi._  
"Do you remember one time I told you about these nuts that had Sokai? Those monks, that kept insisting she was a danger, some kind of monster?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, we encountered them a while back. Kagome and I. And they tried to sacrifice me to some golem-thing. The Tetsusaiga transformed for Kagome, too, now that I think about it. Anyway, they had this bell, and it turned me human when they rung it. The thing is, I think those monks are really looking for Sokai. And now me. Kouga showed up and told me they were up around another Wolf Demon Tribe asking about me. But those bells...there was one in Kagome's time too, in this shrine. These guys started chasing us, recognised me. They even had a drawing of me, you know, to keep an eye out for me. Anyway Kagome turned me into a human to try and hide me, but it didn't work. This guy, he's the cousin of Jiro, that other guy from Kagome's world. Kagome...she...she killed him. Jiro, I mean. Anyway, apparently Jiro wrote about this world and now his cousin knows about it, knows about me, knows there's some sort of portal between here and there. Says if he ever finds out who killed Jiro, he'll kill them. Like I'll let _that_ happen. But...so..yeah."  
He looked up at Izumi, to find her staring at him, wide-eyed.  
"Uh...Izumi?"  
_"You acted like there was nothing to tell me! How long were you going to keep this to yourself?!"_  
InuYasha blinked. She was _angry_ at him?  
"Uh...I didn't think it was all important..."  
"Not that important!?" Izumi put a hand to her face, "Give me strength," she muttered, and InuYasha blinked again, shocked.  
The woman took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "So since I was...away...you and Kagome got back together, which is wonderful. But someone in her time now knows about you, that there is a link to _this_ time, has threatened Kagome's life although he himself doesn't yet know about Kagome at all. Meanwhile there is a sect of monks who have the ability to steal from you your hanyou lifeforce. Also, Tetsusaiga transformed for Kagome, to, I assume, rescue you in some way as you mentioned 'sacrifice'. There are _also_ a group of monks who seem to feel that you are a personal threat to them, or others, along with Sokai. Does that cover it all, dear? Or is there more I should probably know about?"  
InuYasha studied her, "Uh. No. That's it."  
Izumi nodded, sighing.  
"Oh, wait. Miroku was attacked by a ghost and almost drowned. But his powers he had gotten as a monk, all those years of training as a monk, helped him. So he went back, took up his robes again, and banished the ghost."  
Izumi just gazed at him levelly.  
"So...uh. Yeah. That's it. I think."  
"You think."  
"Uh...yeah."  
Izumi shook her head, and smiled, "Well, please let me know if you remember any other things I may be interested in knowing, hmm?"  
He nodded.  
Izumi smiled, "I noticed Miroku had taken up the robes again, but I wasn't sure why, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I should even bring it up. The near drowning was terrible, of course, but it's good to see him back where he belongs."  
"Yeah," InuYasha agreed firmly, "You got that right."  
A very loud crash of thunder made them both jump, and they turned, watching as the rest of the thunderheads came rolling in.  
Izumi spoke, her eyes still on the clouds, "I'll ask Mikado to look into these...'monks'. See what they're doing. I know nothing of them, so I cannot see how they could be linked into this...it's possible they are outside all these goings-on. However, things were happening before that I could not see..."  
He watched her as she thought, lightly tapping her fingers against her thigh. She looked out over the water, eyes a little distant. After a few minutes, she looked back at him.  
"I was going to ask you, dear. How did you manage to find me here?"  
InuYasha blinked, "You...don't you remember?"  
"Remember? No."  
"You came to me in my dream."  
Izumi blinked.  
"I..."  
"I dreamed about you. You must have called me, or something."  
"I...couldn't have, dear one. I had no memory of you."  
She suddenly remembered the demon lord, on the Paths of the Dead. How had he found her?  
"You did, Izumi," InuYasha said, firmer, "I saw you, standing on the path up on the hill back there. I saw this village, the storm that had been coming in before, everything. You said you were in the storm. 'Where you might find me'. That's how you worded it."  
Izumi gazed into his face.  
_So young. So like his father, but so young._  
"I apparently called you and Sesshomaru, InuYasha, though I have no memory of it."  
He watched her, quietly.  
Izumi suddenly smiled, and reached out, and lightly squeezed his hand, "The heart knows who to call for, dear one. Even when our minds no longer remember."  
InuYasha flushed slightly, feeling awkward again, and she lightly laughed.  
She had been about to say something, when he leaned forward, and blurted, "Are you ok with Sesshomaru?"  
Now _Izumi_ started to choke lightly, startled badly, and when she caught her breath, she looked at him, eyes wide, "What, dear?"  
"Is...I mean..." InuYasha suddenly wished badly that Kagome were there. Or even Sango. Just another woman, to ask Izumi what was going on between her and the demon lord. It gave the hanyou a creepy-crawly feeling to think that perhaps Sesshomaru was showing more interest in Izumi than was healthy for him. If he thought he was going to push himself on Izumi, Sesshomaru had another think coming to him. InuYasha would personally trim his claws, _that_ was for certain.  
But now, Izumi looking at him, actually _blushing_, InuYasha felt like he was about to come under attack or something. He cringed.  
"I mean...I just...he hangs around a lot, and ... I mean...if he's bothing you or anything...he's not, is he? I mean, he's not...you know..."  
InuYasha turned redder, if it were possible.  
"He's not bothering me, no," Izumi shook her head, a rather alarming shade of red as well. The problem was, InuYasha didn't know exactly what that meant. Was she blushing because something _had_ happened, or was she blushing because the _thought_ of something happening was disturbing? Or did it mean something else? He couldn't read women. He couldn't read _Kagome_, and he knew her better than any other woman!  
"You're...you're sure?" he asked again. He remembered the little boy, on the beach, telling him that he had seen the demon lord try to kiss Izumi. Should he ask her about it?  
He didn't think he could.  
There was another rumble of thunder, louder. In the distance, a baby awoke, and started to cry.  
They turned, looking up at the storm. It was now pretty much overhead, dark and ominous.  
InuYasha frowned, "Izumi? Is that natural? I mean, is it a normal storm, or.."  
"And how would I know?" Izumi replied, waspishly.  
InuYasha blinked at her, and the woman shook her head, "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I just...I'm feeling rather hollow, without my powers."  
"Oh right, you..." he sighed, "I forgot you're not a Senmin anymore."  
He glanced at her, startled to see her smiled brightly at him, eyes sparkling, "Thank you, dear. That means a lot to me."  
InuYasha nodded, although he was confused as to why that would seem to make her happy.  
There was a very bright flash of lightning, and another bang of thunder hit. It was loud enough to shiver the very air around them, almost making the ground tremble.  
"Goodness!" Izumi and InuYasha slid off the overturned boat, moving quickly back towards the old woman's hut, "This is going to be a very bad storm."  
People were dissapearing quickly into huts, window and door coverings lowered and tied into place. Pets such as dogs and cats slinked into the houses behind their owners, not even the animals wanting any part of what was coming.  
InuYasha ran ahead, holding back the door covering as Izumi slipped inside. Within the hut, his friends were all sitting up on their bedrolls, Shippo clinging to Kagome, eyes wide, tail poofed out.  
"That's some thunder," Sango said, "It woke us all up."  
Izumi paused for a second, looking up at the sky before ducking back in. All the stars had been blocked out, and the clouds were low, and heavy-looking. Lightning flickered back and forth, angry.  
She had a very bad feeling something terrible was coming. And she had no powers at all.  
Ducking, she slipped inside, InuYasha pulling the door covering in place and tying it down. Within seconds, the loud hissing of the rain struck the side of the hut, and the storm began in earnest.

Up further back in the hill, within a cave, Rin cringed against the back of the cavern, and Jakken added hunks of wood to the fire to make it burn brighter. There was another brilliant flash of lightning, and mere seconds behind it, a deafening crash of thunder.  
Ah and Uh was stretched out on the cavern floor, looking bored. The storm was not bothering the great beast - it was smart enough to know it was inside a cavern, which was possibly the best place to be.  
Rin scooted near the beast, and grabbing her small blanket, laid down beside him, throwing the blanket over her head. Maybe if she couldn't see the lightning...  
_BOOM!_  
She sat up, shivering. No, that was worse! At least with the lightning she knew the thunder was coming!  
She wasn't actually afraid...she knew she was inside, where she was safe, and Master Jakken, Ah and Un, and Lord Sesshomaru were there too. But the noise was so loud, it make her heart pound every time it crashed!  
Sesshomaru stood in the entrance to the cave, looking out into the stormy night. The rains had just started, and now it hissed loudly as it fell. The wind was slightly chill, gusting against him from time to time.  
From where he stood, he could just make out the small village below, could see lights in the windows of the huts darken and fade as coverings were tied down in an attempt to keep out the storm.  
Another brilliant flash.  
Sesshomaru looked up into the sky overhead, a being of all white as the light illuminated him, a statue of alabaster for a split second.  
_Something is coming,_ he thought, _This storm is not natural. Something will awaken tonight._  
The answering thunderclap shivered the air, made the rock beneath his feet shudder. There was a smell of ozone in the air, a sharp smell that often preluded a lightning strike.  
He looked down into the village one more time, before turning, and making his way back inside the cavern, to wait out the storm.


	7. A Demon Lord's Anger

The storm raged for hours. Midnight came, and went, and still the storm powered overhead. The rain stopped, oddly, but the storm continued.  
Everyone sat around the small fire. They were all tired, but there was simply no sleeping with that monstrous storm overhead. Shippo sat in Kagome's lap, shivering and shuddering with each powerful clap. Sango had brewed some calming tea for him, but it simply hadn't worked.  
Even Kirara was unsettled, curling up in Sango's lap and blinking huge eyes around with each clap. The demon-slayer laid a hand over her small form, and felt her shiver.  
"This must be unnatural," Miroku was saying, "I've never encountered a storm of this magnitude before, not with no previous warnings. Sometimes, in the summer, we get storms as bad as this, but it almost always is preceeded by several bad storms. They sort of build up. This one just sort of arrived."  
InuYasha looked into the clay cup he held, the tea having cooled off. Izumi's words came to him again, as she spoke to him in his dream.  
_"Within the sounding storm, where you might find me."_  
He looked across the fire, where the older woman sat, knees tucked under her, also sipping at tea that had cooled. Did she remember what it meant? Had it meant _anything?_ In the dream he had seen a bad storm, but he thought it had already passed. There had been a bad storm earlier...though nothing like this.  
Another thunderous crash, and beside him, Kagome flinched.  
He looked at her, "You ok?"  
She offered him a faint smile, "Yeah. Just, you know. You try to prepare for it, but it still takes you by surprise."  
"Yeah."  
"I don't like this lightning without rain," Sango said, "It's too easy for a fire to start. And everything is still dry."  
"I'm sure nothing will happen, dear," Izumi said gently, "It's just a storm, I'm sure of it."  
At that moment, another retort of thunder shook the hut hard, thevery air shuddering. Everyone, even the hanyou, flinched, almost expecting the roof to fall in on their heads.  
It rolled and echoed around them, horribly.  
InuYasha lifted his head, looking at the older woman, "I dunno, Izumi, I don't-"  
He froze, eyes widening for a second, before he quickly looked towards the door, clutching his Tetsusaiga, hard. He was on his feet, moving, in seconds.  
"InuYasha? What is it?" Kagome was on her feet seconds after him, moving towards him.  
InuYasha knelt, untying the door covering, "Something's wrong."  
"What do you mean, wrong?" Miroku asked, as the hanyou threw back the door covering and stepped outside.  
They followed behind him, raising hands or arms to sheild their faces from the debris thrown up by the wind.  
InuYasha cast about, scenting the air, his nose filtering what he could. Kagome and the others watched him, knowing he was the first to discover something.  
"What is it?" Izumi asked him, watching him.  
"I don't know, it's...something's _wrong_. It _stinks_."  
Kagome blinked, "Stinks?"  
He nodded, not looking at her, his golden eyes roving the area, searching, "Not like...like garbage or dead fish. Like..._bad_. Corrupt. I don't like it. I don't like it at _all_."  
"I don't sense anything," Sango said lightly.  
Miroku frowned, "I do. As InuYasha said, it's like something...that has been fouled."  
Kagome turned in place, looking around them, trying to find something, see something, but in the blackness, there was nothing.  
Lightning flashed, and Kagome blinked. She took a step forward, squinting out over the water as the thunder roared overhead. Had she seen something? Had there been something...  
Lightning flashed again, and suddenly, she realized there was something _huge_ in the water, _enormous_, the size of a small island, higher than the huts around them, and the lightning had reflected off two enormous _eyes_...  
She screamed.  
Everyone turned to her, shocked.  
"What is it?" Sango called out, as InuYasha moved beside her, trying to follow her gaze.  
"It's out there!" Kagome called over the wind, "It's in the water, coming this way! _Huge_!"  
The lightning flashed again, and now they all saw it, a massive form in the water, moving towards them, slowly, yet creepily fast. Two huge round eyes glared in at them. They couldn't quite make out anything else, other than it was huge, and it was heading for them.  
"Is that a _demon_?" Sango cried, as Kirara leapt to the sand, morphing into her giant form.  
"No," InuYasha said, and the tone of disgust in his voice caused the others to turn to him. Kagome blinked at him.  
InuYasha's head has half-lowered, and he glared at the thing through his bangs. His nose was wrinked in disgust, mouth in a grimace, teeth bared. Even from where she stood, Kagome could feel the tension in the hanyou's body.  
"That's no demon," he growled, deeply, "That thing's worse. Whatever the hell it is, it came through a portal."  
"It's something from another plane of existance," Izumi said, looking back out to the thing, "It must have come through a while back, and grown. There's no portal big enough to allow _that_ to come through."  
"Why didn't anyone see it!?" Miroku asked.  
"It must have stayed in the ocean, that's all I can see. It must have hidden." Izumi sounded disgusted.  
"What do we do?" Kagome asked, as the thing creeped closer, "It's heading this way. It'll destroy this village!"  
"We kill it," InuYasha snarled, and Kagome blinked at him. He sounded utterly livid, enraged. Somewhere, deep down inside, the thing had touched something primal in the hanyou, an almost instinctual hatred of...whatever it was. Much the way some dogs react to other wild animals, InuYasha was responding on some lower gut level.  
She turned to Izumi, one hand on InuYasha's arm, "_Can_ we fight that, Izumi?"  
"I...don't know." The older woman clenched her fists, "You'd best call for Mikado. I think this is beyond us."  
"Like _Hell_!" InuYasha snarled, and shrugging Kagome off, lunged forward, heading down towards the waterline.  
"InuYasha!" Kagome cried.  
"We have no choice, Izumi!" Miroku said, as he hopped up behind Sango on Kirara, "If we just stand around, it'll destroy the village. We'll try to keep it occupied until Mikado gets here! Please, alert the villagers, tell them to get out!"  
Izumi cursed helplessly, angrilly, as the giant feline took to the air. Watching Kagome run down towards the hanyou, she turned, and headed back up towards the line of huts.  
She had never had to run _away_ from such a creature before. Her duty was to _stop_ creatures like that, and she didn't like the thoughts of InuYasha and his friends trying to take one on. It was from another plane of existance, it was probably much more powerful than any demon they had yet to encounter. And if it was from another plane, there was the possibility the SolarFlare might not work on it. If Ketmetsu didn't have his hand in it personally, but had merely opened a portal and allowed anything that wanted, to come through, it wouldn't have his taint on it.  
Izumi ran up to the first door, and knocked loudly on the doorframe, rattling the door covering as hard as she could, "You must leave! Hurry!"

InuYasha looked up at the thing as it slowly moved in towards shore. It continued to grow as it approached, blocking out sight of the opposite side of the harbour. What looked creepily like tentacles churned the water before it, searching for anything it could grab up and destroy.  
"How are we going to kill it?" he heard Kagome call.  
He turned slightly toward her, keeping his eyes on the creature, "I'm not sure. We - "  
He blinked, and turned to her, shocked, to see her standing beside him, looking up at it, one hand on the Shikon, the other holding her sword.  
_"Are you insane!?"_ he hollared at her, "Get the hell back!"  
She looked angrilly at him, "Izumi said she didn't know if we could even fight this thing, and you're just standing here! You must know something we don't, so it should be safe for me to stand here!"  
Cursing loudly, he turned, grabbing her by the arm, and moving back from the shore, dragging her, "What kind of deathwish do you have, anyway!?"  
"None! But you can't fight that thing alone!"  
"What are _you_ going to do, poke it with your sword!?"  
"I'll try the Shikon!"  
"How do you know it's going to work on that thing!?"  
"How do you know it won't!?"  
In the air above them, atop Kirara, Sango and Miroku gazed down at their friends with amusement, shaking their heads as the angry voices of the two below drifted up to them, even over the moan of the wind.  
"I think I actually missed that," the monk murmured.  
"I know what you mean," Sango laughed, then grew serious. She leaned over, "InuYasha! Kagome! You might want to fight another time, it's getting closer!"  
InuYasha and Kagome turned, as one, blinking to see the creature was almost at the shore now, long tentacles snaking out of the water, moving towards the shore.  
Growling, InuYasha sheathed Tetsusaiga, and grabbing Kagome's wrist, turned, running back from the shoreline, dragging her with him.  
Lightning flashed again.  
In the brief stutter of light, they got a better look at it.  
It looked like nothing so much as a squished squid, more upright than long, as if it somehow managed to stand on it's head. It was taller than most trees, easily towering over them all. The thing was thicker around than Kagome's house, the five tentacles squirming along the ground thicker around than Kagome herself.  
Two giant, blank eyes gazed outwards, a pale blue, almost white. Three smaller ones stood in a verticle line between the two large ones. These were about the size of teacup saucers, and a flat black, like a shark's. If it had a mouth, they couldn't see it, unless it was in the midst of the tentacles, like a squid's.  
Two tentacles snaked their way up onto the shore, pushing mounds of sand before it. Seawater rushed into the new furrows. The wind continued to howl.  
"Stay here!" InuYasha snarled at Kagome, and pulling his Tetsusaiga, lunged towards the creature.  
Kagome watched, heart up in her throat.  
The hanyou dashed swiftly over the sand, and leapt, drawing the Tetsusaiga out and down in a long sweep.  
It struck the closest tentacle...  
and bounced off.  
The Tetsusaiga rebounded hard, throwing InuYasha off balance, the sword literally swinging back up over his right shoulder, and he staggered backwards a few steps, trying to catch his balance.  
The tentacle shivered, and snapped outwards, striking him in the chest and stomach, sending him flying backwards to the sand. A gout of sand flew up behind him, like a wave.  
He landed, roughly.  
"Are you alright?" Kagome called as soon as he came to a stop.  
"I'm _fine_!" he snarled, pissed off. He rolled to his feet, standing up.  
_Too damn rubbery to hit. I have to slice, using only the edge of Tetsusaiga, and not the whole weight. Fine._

Izumi ran from door to door, pounding, yelling, calling. People opened their doors, pulled back the door coverings, peering out at her, shocked, confused. All were already awake from the storm, but they looked at her, frightened, not sure what was going on.  
When they saw the thing moving into the harbour, though, all left their houses, left their belongings, and took their families and pets, and ran.  
She had just finished getting one family to go, when she heard someone calling her name.  
"Shisuta!"  
Izumi turned, to see Yuji running towards her, sword out, moving through the crowd of people moving towards the forest, away from the shoreline.  
"Yuji! Good, I'm glad to see you! Take the people here out to the forest, get them back from the beach! That thing is coming-!"  
"Shisuta, what is it? What is that thing, do you know?"  
She shook her head, not bothering to correct him on her name, now right now, "No, but it's dangerous, it's very dangerous! Please, take the villagers out. You and the men must keep the women and children safe near the forest until this thing is dealt with!"  
She turned, starting back towards the shoreline. She felt a hand grab her arm, and she stopped, turning, looking back into his face.  
"Shisuta, where are you going!?"  
"I must go back, I have to make sure they're-"  
"No! Come with me, you can't stay here!"  
"I must, Yuji! I have to-"  
"It's too dangerous! Let those others deal with it, they seem like seasoned warriors, all of them!"  
Izumi shook her head, and gently pulled her hand from his, "I can't, Yuji. Please. I'll explain it all later, but for now, please, take the villagers and keep them safe. And have you another sword?"  
"I..."  
He looked at her, worried. She seemed so changed since he first met her, at old Teruko's house. She was being driven by something, that much was clear. And despite her earlier unease at the presence of the hanyou that arrived, she seemed comfortable with them now. And concerned.  
He held out the sword to her, "Take this one."  
"Are you certain? You may need it!"  
He shook his head, speaking gently, "I'll get my staff, and some of the other men have knives and hooks from fishing. You're...going back to fight that thing, aren't you?"  
"If I can, yes. They may need my help."  
"Then take it. And...be careful. Please."  
Izumi gently took the sword, and looked up at him. She softly smiled, and nodded, "I will certainly try, I promise you that."  
With that, she turned, spinning in place, and started back towards the shoreline, back towards the towering beast, back towards the others who had changed so much since their arrival.

When she ran back to the shore, she stopped, stunned.  
The thing had pulled itself up onto the shore with it's long tentacles, and had crushed a good many boats and staging areas. InuYasha was trying to harry the thing back into the water, with little success. There were a few small slices in it's hide, but that was about it. Kagome stood back, not sure what she could do. She held her Shikon, but either it could doing nothing, or she had no idea how to go about attaking it.  
Up above, Miroku and Sango circled the thing like a gnat, unable to do much besides bother it.  
Cursing, the woman ran towards InuYasha, and the monster.  
Izumi paused, looking at Kagome, "Are you alright?"  
Kagome nodded, and Izumi spoke, "What about Mikado? Have you spoken to her?"  
Kagome's eyes were riveted on InuYasha, "She...she will come when she can." She said, lamely.  
"When she can!?" Izumi cried, "This isn't a minor demon!"  
Cursing, she moved out towards InuYasha.  
Kagome watched her go, worried and upset. Miroku had called the Senmin earlier, and had recieved a shocking reply.  
_"I can't come right now, Miroku! We're under attack!"  
"What!?"_ Miroku's mental voice to the Senmin had been shocked, _"What do you mean!?"  
"I mean Keimetsu's forces are attacking the Celestial Plane! We're holding them off as best we can. I'm sorry, but I just can't come!"  
"I understand."_  
He had passed this information swiftly to the others, with the addition he felt they should not tell Izumi, not now.  
"I think it's apparent," the monk said swiftly, speaking as lowly as possible with the wind howling around them, "Keimetsu timed this attack to when Izumi was no longer a Senmin. If she knows what's happening while she's here, her head will be there, with them, not here."  
"Right."

Izumi ran up to the hanyou as he stood, glaring at the creature.  
He had backed off, and was panting. It was shrugging off his best attacks, and he was getting winded.  
A hard gust of wind rocked them for a moment, lightning lighting up everything, and a peal of thunder rocking the ground. When she could be heard, she spoke to him. She had to yell, despite being near him.  
"Have you tried the SolarFlare?"  
"Yeah," he hollared back, "Nothing! It won't even come out! This thing wasn't sent specifically by Keimetsu! But we know he must have opened the portal, damnit!"  
"And the Tetsusaiga?"  
InuYasha looked at the blade, shaking his head, "That thing's skin is too tough! Tetsusaiga just bounces off! It can barely slit the skin!"  
The thing let out a terrible sound, like a roar, only more deeper and almost sonic. It shook their bones and rattled their teeth. InuYasha hunched, more susceptible to it.  
Izumi's eyes roved over the thing, looking.  
_It must have a weak spot. Everything has a weak spot. Everything._  
Another one of those terrible sounds, part roar, part sounding, like a fog horn. Again, Izumi even felt it in her chest, as if her heart and lungs were vibrating. InuYasha hunched again, lifting one hand to his head, cursing loudly.  
The thing seemed to turn blind eyes towards them, huge, nearly white eyes. But the smaller black ones inside, glittered with a feral anger.  
_The eyes. Maybe the eyes! But we must get it away from the village!_  
Not saying a word, she turned, and lunged straight toward the thing.  
InuYasha let out a shocked hollar, and took off after her.  
She splashed into the water, running out until it was up to her ankles. Bolting towards the creature, she raised the sword, swinging it in a fine arc.  
Izumi no longer had her Senmin powers, but she still remembered her centuries of training.  
She opened a long slash in the thing's hide. Long, but not deep. It was little more than a deep scratch.  
The thing felt it, though, and let out an angry retort, loud, like a bullhorn.  
"What the hell!?" InuYasha hollared at Izumi, as she splashed back towards the shore.  
"Lead it from the village!" she yelled, "We have to lead it away from the village!"  
She turned, and started running.  
The creature, for some reason, turned, and started moving through the water after her, parallelling her as she pounded along the shore. InuYasha fell in behind, cursing, Kagome behind _him_. Above them, Sango and Miroku followed on Kirara.  
The thing's eye were locked onto Izumi.  
Izumi ran as if the hounds of hell were behind her, her feet pounding into the sand. All she could think about was how badly they needed to get the thing away from the village. She ran straight, her head and eyes turned to the left as she tracked the thing moving with her, out in the water.  
One tentacle left the water, whipping in towards her.  
"Look out!" she heard InuYasha hollar.  
Izumi took a few more steps, one, two, then turned and _leapt_.  
Leaving the sand, she lunged outward, landing _atop_ the tentacle, and starting moving along it, literally running along it back towards the thing.  
InuYasha came sliding to a shocked stop, sand flying out from in under his feet, blinking up at the woman as she moved.  
He cursed. Now he had _Izumi_ to worry about as well!  
What was it with women, and death wishes!?

The tentacle was long and rubbery,and covered with a disgusting and stinking slime. As she ran, she could feel her feet occasionally sliding out from under her, slipping.  
Keeping herself going, Izumi continued to run keeping the huge head in her sights. If she could get to the head, maybe she could blind the thing. Keep it off-balance until Mikado arrived.  
And what was keeping her!?  
Izumi jumped, lunging from one tentacle to another. Her feet hit the tentacle, and slipped out from in under her. She slipped onto her butt, nearly losing her sword. She scrambled, trying to get back up to her feet, but couldn't get a hold on anything, everything was too slimy.  
She fell.  
Izumi tried not to shriek, tried to keep her cool, and her balance. After what seemed like an eternity, she struck another tentacle below, knocking the sind out of her.  
Pain ripping through her chest, she mentally cursed, and got to her feet, looking around.  
Great gouts of seawater were spraying up around her as the tentacles flailed at InuYasha and Kirara.  
"Lady Izumi!" she heard Miroku call out to her, "Are you alright?"  
"I'm...fine!" she called back, fighting to breath properly. She felt drained and tired already.  
Had she truly forgotten what it was like to be a human, so completely? She felt so weak.  
Getting her bearings, she realized she was now, in fact, closer to the thing's face than earlier, and used that to her advantage.  
She started running again, slipping with every third or fourth step, but generally managed to keep on her feet.  
When she got close enough, Izumi slid to a stop, and threw the sword as hard as she could.  
The blade flew straight and true, and landed square in one of the thing's giant eyes.  
It screamed, flailing it's tentacles wildly.  
Izumi felt the thing she was standing on go whipping out from in under her, and she fell, plunging into the cold, dark water.  
She came up, spluttering, gasping with shock. There may have been a heat wave in the area from time to time, but the water hadn't absorbed much of the warmth.  
Trying not to inhale much of the fine spray the beast was kicking up, Izumi started in for the shore.

InuYasha cursed, striking at the thing again and again. It seemed to do no damage at all, was just causing Tetsusaiga to rebound. He had seen Izumi fall into the water, and hollared out, but the woman quickly came up again, making for the near shore. He turned his attention on the thing, hoping to keep it's attention off her.  
The creature let out another of those bone-jarring calls, making his teeth feel like they were vibrating. Hunching, he slapped a hand to his head as his ears protested.  
_What the hell is this thing!?_  
"InuYasha!" Sango called down, "Move back. I'm going to give it a try!"  
"Alright, be careful! It's hard to pierce!"  
He lunged backwards, watching, as the Hiraikotsu came whipping downwards.  
As he had expected, it struck the rubbery monster, and merely ricocheted off, to come crashing down onto the shore.  
"Well, so much for that idea," Miroku said. He took ahold of the prayer beads around his wrist.  
"Wait!" Sango called, reaching back and grabbing his hand, "You can't. You'll get more water than monster."  
"I have to try, Sango!"  
"Do you really think even your Wind Tunnel can lift that thing up? Miroku, it's the size of a small island!"  
Gritting his teeth, the monk let go of the beads, "Then what are we supposed to do, Sango? InuYasha can't dent it."  
Sango turned Kirara, and they moved back down towards the sand, back towards Kagome.  
Kirara landed with a thump, and ran towards the other woman.  
"Kagome? Have you tried the Shikon?"  
Kagome nodded, her eyes still on InuYasha as he darted back and forth, cursing at his inability, "It won't respond. I don't know if it's me or if it's because this thing isn't a demon or a Shadeling, or what, but it's deaf to me."  
She blinked as InuYasha suddenly turned, running back towards them, "Back, _get back!"_  
The thing shot it's tentacles out towards them, sinking them deep into the sand, and started to pull itself up onto the shore. It left huge furrows in the sand as it started to heave it's bulk up onto the shore.  
Izumi joined them, panting, "It's not nearly far enough away from the village. We have to move it further down."  
"I don't think it's going to move," InuYasha swore, looking back at it as the tentacles shot forward again, sinking into the sand, once more dragging it's bulk up with a grating, hissing sound.  
Another deep, echoing, fog-horn-like sound issued from the creature, and again the hanyou flinched, clapping a hand to his head. He turned, glaring at the thing.  
_"Will you shut the hell up!?"_  
"Then we have to _make_ it move!" Izumi said, angry. Where was Mikado!?  
She turned towards Kagome, "Do you have you bow and arrows with you?"  
"Not here, back in the hut? Do you want me to go get them?"  
"No, stay here," InuYasha replied instantly, not wanting her to leave his sight. He looked at Izumi, "Arrows aren't going to do anything to that, Izumi, not even hurt it. It's too damn big."  
Izumi glared at the creature, and let out a loud cry of frusteration.  
"What's it doing?" Sango suddenly called, and they all turned to look at it.  
One of the eyes, the one Izumi hadn't managed to damage, was glowing. It seemed to get brighter and brighter within seconds.  
"I don't like the look of that," Miroku called.  
"It looks like-" Kagome started, but she never got to finish her sentence.  
A brilliant white-hot beam of light burst out of the eye, flashing straight towards them, lightning fast.  
Kirara took to the air before Sango or Miroku could even call out, shocked. They felt the heat wave wash over them, like being dumped into a fire. Underneath her, Sango felt Kirara grunt in pain.  
InuYasha turned, grabbing Kagome, and reached out for Izumi with his other arm, but the light was too fast, and he couldn't be in two places at once.  
The heat hit him like a hammer, knocking him sideways. He felt himself hit something - or someone - and he hit the ground hard. Whoever he fell on cried out in pain and shock. The heat flash was intense, and for a moment, he thought he was literally on fire.  
The blinding white fire rippled, and passed, and he was swept with cooling damp air.  
Lifting his head, he looked around.  
He was lying on Kagome, and she looked dazed. Her clothing was literally steaming with the heat, and her face was ruddy, as if sunburned.  
He looked around for Izumi, and saw her, crawling to her feet a little distance away. She too looked as if she were sunburned, her own hair and clothing steaming, smelling slightly of scorch. When he had fallen, he had at least managed to push Izumi down, and she had missed most of the heat.  
He looked up, looking frantically for his friends, and felt a wave of relief when he saw them in the air. Sango was bent over, checking Kirara.  
"Are you guys ok!?" he called up.  
"We're fine. Kirara's got some fur singed, but she should be ok."  
_Kirara's a fire demon. That must be some hot blast to have singed her fur._  
Standing up, helping Kagome to her feet, he looked around, and realized, shocked, that there were pockets of melted sand around them, turned into glass from the intense heat.  
It reached out, and pulled itself in again.  
"Damnit!" he roared in anger.  
Izumi had gotten to her feet, and had turned, looking somewhat sooty, looking around, somewhat dazed. She looked up to see the thing was moving towards her, it's one white eye and three smaller black ones seemingly fixed on her.  
She turned, and ran several feet back from the creature, when she felt the heat start up again, on her back.  
She heard InuYasha's cry, _"Izumi! Get down!"_  
She threw herself down to the sand, throwing her hands over her head.  
An intense blast of heat washed over her, and she felt the sand around her become hot to the touch. She squirmed on the sand, unable to move as the heast washed over above her.  
A second later, cool air washed over her, and she lifted her head, warily looking around.  
The air was so hot it almost hurt to breathe, but she stood up, trying to get her bearings.  
There was a huge swatch of melted sand rippling up from the shore back to the forest, still smoking. The air above it rippled with the heat.  
She looked through the heat at InuYasha and his friends who were standing on the other side of the melted sand.  
Almost looming above her, the creature let out another fog-horn like sound, causing the sand around it to jump and dance.  
Izumi turned, running along the sand, still trying to lead it farther from the village. She looked over her shoulder as the thing pushed itself along behind her.  
She took five running steps before slamming into something, stumbling backwards. She fell back onto her butt, and sat, staring up in surprise, to see the demon lord standing there.  
He did not look impressed.  
"What do you think you are doing?" he asked her, almost pleasantly, but his eyes were angry.  
Izumi pushed herself up onto her feet, looking back at the thing as it approached, "I have to lead it from the village!"  
She turned, as if to take off, but he reached out and caught her by the wrist, jerking her to a halt, "Why? What insanity drives you to lead this thing you cannot kill or harm away from any chance of escape?"  
"I _told_ you," she said, growing angry, "I have to lead it from the village, or it will destroy everything there!"  
"And what matter this to you?"  
She turned, looking at him, angry now, "They are innocent of all this, Sesshomaru! I can't let them be harmed, it's my duty to protect them! You're not a fool, stop acting as one!"  
Sesshomaru's eyes widened.  
Had she just _insulted_ him?  
_Him?_  
The creature let out a horrible blast of sound, vibrating the air around them. Izumi turned to see the thing was practically _over_ them, and turned to run, to bolt.  
Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist again, painfully tight, and yanked her to his side. He wrapped one arm about her, pinning her to his side.  
"Be still," his voice was like a whip, and he reached down for Tokijin.  
Izumi looked up at the towering creature, instinctively cringing back, but the demon lord's arm tightened painfully around her, and she watched, heart in her throat, as he held the blade out before him, parallel to the sand, and concentrated.  
Blue lightning started to flicker along the blade, started to ripple, dancing back and forth.  
Izumi's eyes widened as she watched. Even as a human, she could feel the youkai of the demon lord, the demonic power he was channelling into the blade, growing, building up greater and greater. More and more, he channelled into Tokijin, and she looked up into his face as he practically glared at the blade.  
There was a faint wrinkle at the bridge of his nose, the only testimony of the anger inside him, a faint furrowing of his brow, a faint narrowing of the eyes. But Izumi knew him well enough, and knew he was _angry_.  
With another lunge, the creature now loomed over them, gazing down with it's one good eye, the smaller three glittering yet flat, like a shark's. One tentacle lifted from the sand, and slid towards them.  
The demon lord spoke, almost casually, but with an angry edge to his voice.  
_"Dragon Strike."_  
Everything exploded around her.  
Blue lightning seared the air, making it almost hard to breathe. She could feel the ground under her vibrating, thumping, with each bolt that crashed out of the air. A hot wind blew her bangs back from her face, and even though she had seen it before, Izumi had never been at the heart of it. And a human, it now terrified her.  
The utter _power_ that roared and raged around her stole her breath away. Helplessly, she watched, as the tentacle slid forward, and was met with a barrage of blue bolts, that cleaved deep into the rubbery hide, slicing down through as if through butter. While no large piece was removed, the bolts continually sliced off smaller pieces, over and over, moving up the tentacle, seeking out the creature's body, roaring, blasting, booming, crashing.  
Izumi could feel the impacts deep in her chest, even her heart and lungs seemed to shiver as each bolt struck, the air around them screaming with the force of the attack.  
It seemed to go on for eternity. Izumi couldn't hear anything, not her own heart, not even her own voice as she flinched and cried out when one particularily powerful bolt crashed down nearby. There was only the deafening roar of the thunder.  
More and more of the creature was sheared off, sliced away, as if the Dragon Strike were peeling the thing back, layer by layer. Even a paring knife can kill, if weilded quickly enough, slicing shallowly but so quickly that cuts become deep, and grow deeper. Such was the way this impossible-to-kill creature began to fall before the Demon Lord's attack.  
Chunks were falling off, crashing down to the sand, to the water, black liquid oozing and seeping from the cuts to fall and bubble on the sand.  
One thick bolt crashed down before them, cleaving the creature's massive body in two, and with a sub-sonic scream of pain, it toppled, fell, dead. The two hunks splashed back into the sea, turning the water around it black with whatever it used as blood.  
The blue lightning bolts rippled, weakened, weakened, and died back. Gasping for breath, Izumi staggered forward from the grip of the demon lord, looking around.  
The sand around them was blasted, steaming. There were holes in the sand, burned into glass, creating fulgurites that smoked angrilly. The forest that had been directly behind them was a smoking ruin, trees toppled and burning. The earth was blackened and smoking as well.  
Izumi stood, looking shell-shocked, her ears ringing from standing at ground zero of the demon lord's attack. Her body shivered.  
She turned, looking back towards Sesshomaru, her tongue not wanting to work properly. She was shaken, but wanted to thank him for what he had done.  
Sesshomaru was in no mood for thanks.  
"You are a fool," he said, sheathing Tokijin, eyes hot with anger, voice cold as ice.  
Izumi blinked, and drew herself up slightly, "A fool? How? By wanting to protect those villagers?"  
"You say it is your duty to protect them," he said, eyes boring into her.  
"That's right, it is."  
"You _have_ no duty, _human_. You are weak. Your powers are gone. Do you truly think you can offer your lady anything now?"  
Izumi blinked, looking shocked, but spoke, shaking her head, her own voice growing angry, "I do not expect you to understand, Lord Sesshomaru. You have no duty save to yourself."  
"Yes, I am free of that insanity."  
Izumi took a step towards him, "Your father-"  
"Is _dead_, Lady, and gone."  
Izumi blinked, and faltered back a step.  
"Perhaps that was his undoing as well, feeling responsible to the lesser creatures. Risking one's life for those who will never even reach an equal status, will forever be helpless and pitiful and pathethic. Why should the powerful risk their lives for those who will never be anything less than pathethic?"  
Izumi looked at him, at a loss. She groped for something to say, but couldn't find anything.  
"You have _lost_, Izumi," Sesshomaru said harshly, "It is over. Remain what dignity you have left, go to some village and live your life as best you are able."  
Eyes wide, Izumi sat on the sand, stunned, looking up at him where he stood, his back to the sea.  
He spoke again, "Your Lady will no doubt understand. But there is nothing you can offer her now. You are less than useless to her."  
Sesshomaru turned, and started striding back towards the forest, his inner anger seething within. Izumi remained where she was, looking out to sea, to the floating remains of the creature, the air thick with smoke and scorch.  
Sesshomaru had almost reached the edge of the forest, when he heard her speak.  
"I pity you."  
He froze, eyes widening slightly, and he turned, looking over his shoulder at her.  
_"What_ did you say?"  
Her voice was clear, though she did not turn, remined looking out over the water, "I said I pity you."  
Narrowing his eyes, he turned, walking back towards her, "And why, may I ask, do _you_ pity Sesshomaru?"  
She slowly rose, still not turning.  
"Because for all your power," she said simply, "All your might. All your strength..."  
She turned, regarding him. Her eyes were black, darker than the night sky around them, long hair pulled back into a braid. Her simple men's clothing were scorched and burned in places, her skin reddened from abrasions and heat.  
"...your heart is dead."  
He said nothing, only watched, silent.  
"You are missing so much from your life. You are missing an entire _world_ of experiences and power, and skill, and sensations. You might as well be blind. Or deaf."  
Narrowing his eyes, he walked towards her, anger simmering in his gold eyes.  
"Do you truly believe that foolishness? I had expected better from you, Izumi. Do you truly believe that feeling responsible for lessers, feeling a love for them, makes one more powerful, instead of weaker? Do you not understand? If you attempt to battle too many enemies with one army, that army is weakened. Ignore most of the lesser, weaker battle, and the army is strong, stronger than any other."  
She lifted her head, regarding him eye-to-eye.  
"Your father was the strongest person I ever knew, Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Reaches. Do you honestly think that he love he had for those lesser than him made him weak?"  
"It killed him, did it not?"  
Izumi paused, and then spoke softly, "And yet you were never able to overpower him.  
Which of you is weaker?"  
Gold eyes widened slightly, and he shifted, wanting to strike out at her impudence. But even to do that would be to indicate she had struck a nerve in him, had scored a hit.  
Izumi turned, and started walking away from him, staggering slightly over the sand, heading to where InuYasha and the others waited, unable to cross the expanse of burning hot glass. They watched, wary, uneasy.  
Not turning, she spoke over her shoulder to him, "I thank you, Lord Sesshomaru, for destroying this thing, whatever your reasons. I am in your debt, though I doubt you will wish to call on it."  
He stood there, watching, feeling a fury deep inside him, feeling, for the first time ever, a strange desire to rage against no known enemy, to strike and destroy, and yet he wasn't under attack.  
He turned, and strode back towards the forest, a silvery tower of anger.  
She picked her way over the hot glass carefully, tottering over the crooked places. InuYasha and Miroku were on the other side, reaching out, and they took her arms, helping her back to solid, sandy ground.  
"Are you alright?" Sango asked.  
"I'm fine, dear. Just tired. We need to get the villagers back to their huts, let them know it's safe."  
"I'll do that," Sango said, turning to Kirara. She met Kagome's eye, and the other young woman nodded, letting Sango know she had seen it too.  
Faint tears in the woman's eyes. Tears she brushed away, masking it as if wiping soot from her face.  
"What the hell did Sesshomaru say to you?" InuYasha demanded, glaring back at where the demon lord had dissapeared into the forest.  
"It's not important, dear," Izumi said, smiling a wan smile, and patting his hand, "It's not important."  
They helped her back towards the hut, to rest.

END


End file.
